Walking around Rione Monti, the radical chic area of Rome
Vintage shops, trendy art galleries and bohemian vibes.
Dear readers today I want to take you at the discovery of one of my favourite districts in Rome. I’m talking about Rione Monti, an area that has been reappraised in recent years, becoming one of the coolest neighborhoods of the city. This is where I love to spend most of my roman weekends.
The Rione has always nice vibes and unlike districts such as Trastevere, that especially on weekend nights are besieged by tourists and throngs of young and noisy locals that crowd its alleys, Rione Monti, even on busy nights, never loses its elegant charm. And above all, differently from the city centre which is full of gelaterie and poor souvenirs shops, Rione Monti doesn’t desperately try to please tourists. The district remains true to its character, with its artisan shops and independent art galleries.
The entire area, located between Termini Station and the Colosseum, has very ancient roots. During Roman empire times Rione Monti was called Suburra, a term that comes from latin language (“sub urbe”) and that literally means “under the city”. The neighborhood was born in fact at the foot of Palatino Hill and it is actually the oldest urban district of the city. During ancient times the district didn’t have its current neat and elegant appearance with the beautiful Renaissance buildings, but it looked more like a slum. Rione Monti was actually crowded with outlaws, lupanari ( ancient whorehouses) and disreputable clubs. Today there is no sign of the sordid past of the district, apart from the name of one of the most important squares of the Rione, piazza della Suburra.
Piazza della Suburra
The social life of the Rione revolves around, Piazza della Madonna Dei Monti. The little square and his sixteenth century fountain are the heart of the district. In the daytime the steps of the fountain are crowded with locals and tourists consuming their lunch or licking an ice cream. While during the night the square turns into the major meeting point of the district as girls and boys gather to drink a beer and socialize. When I take a look at this square (and to many other important squares in our city) I can’t help but think about a funny story that goes back to the days when I worked as a receptionist in a small guest-house near via Nazionale.
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