Lucci Hotel Rome Blog

The region of Trastevere is situated on the west bank of the river Tevere (Tiber in English) and south of the Vatican City. Its name means ‘beyond the Tiber’  and comes from the Latin ‘trans Tiberim.

Around 753-509 BC the area across the river belonged to the hostile Estruscans. Rome took over it so they could gain better control of and access to the river from both sides.

In the beginning Rome was not interested in building on the other side of the Tiber River and as consequence, there was only one wooden bridge that used to connect both parts. Pons Sublicius or bridge built on piles.

But by 509 the number of fishermen and sailors making a living from the river steadily increased and many were those who settled down in Trastevere along with the many immigrants from Eastern countries such as Jews and Syrians, who came and settled.

Slowly the area got more  populated and under Augustus it started being considered as part of Rome. He divided the city into regions and the modern Trastevere was the XIV and was called Trans Tiberim.

But the district really got included under Aurelian (270-275) who made the protection walls larger so Trastevere and the Vatican Hill were inside the borders.

Some important figures from the Imperial Age decided to build their villas there. Julius Caesar had his Horti Caesaris villae (garden villa) built there.

The region also includes 2 important ancient churches of Rome: basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.

In the middle ages Trastevere had narrow and winding streets because the houses had this kind of structures in front that would not let the carriages and carts move easily.These structures were removed in 1400 but the region remained with the same kind of streets. Sixtus IV in the late 1400 paved the streets first with bricks and later with cobble stones.

Because of its partial isolation and mixture of people from different parts of the world they developed their own  culture and its people were therefore named the Trasteverini.

Nowadays still, Trastevere still keeps its own character-cozy narrow cobbled streets and beautiful medieval houses.

During the evenings and at night both locals and tourists are flooding its streets and enjoy the amazing and buzzing atmosphere created by the many painters, actors and musicians combined with the beautiful houses, churches and small squares with fountains. There also is a significant number of good Rome restaurants and pubs.

Important international institutions in the Trastevere district are : the John Cabot University and the American Academy in Rome but also the  campus of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and the Canadian University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

Some worldwide famous personalities have their origins in Trastevere : take the  “westerns” movies director Sergio Leone and the composer Ennio Morricone who lived and studied in Trastevere, and who briefly attended the same class at school too.

To visit the beautiful and romantic Trastevere from My Hotel Rome is easy: You can take bus ‘H’ or bus 75 fro termini Station which just a few minutes walk from our hotels.

You should get off on the first stop after crossing the river. Take one of  the main streets, Via Della Lungaretta .