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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 11, 2019 20:27:32 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 11, 2019 20:37:47 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 12, 2019 4:55:18 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Jun 12, 2019 7:14:53 GMT
Yes, I love Trastevere and the green hills of Gianicolo above it.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 12, 2019 10:52:49 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Jun 12, 2019 11:31:45 GMT
I've done exactly that, including in that church. The clergy and caretakers don't mind, as long as "tourists" (whether local or from far away) were quiet and respectful. When I was there, in the 1980s, the young woman's dress would not have been acceptable, as one had to have covered shoulders (and of course men couldn't be shirtless). This just meant taking a light large scarf or shawl, also useful against sunburn.
G G Belli (statue of man in top hat) was a poet famous for his sonnets and other poems in Romanesco, the dialect spoken by the Roman people.
Gianicolense and Monteverde are the largely residential neighbourhoods above Trastevere. Not much of ancient or Renaissance origin (though there are ancient ruins even far from the centre of Rome), but a very pleasant place to stay as it is cooler up the hill and there are still many typical groceries and other shops. There is a bus (forget its number) that goes down through Trastevere and to the bus hub near Torre Argentina, where there is a famous cat sanctuary (had to get that in).
I spent a month there, in a studio owned by one of my thesis advisors. It was very small inside but had a large terrasse/patio.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 12, 2019 14:19:59 GMT
It does look like a lovely area. When we were planning our holiday in Italy a few years ago, we originally were going to fly into Rome and stay a few days, this was the exact area of the city I found myself searching for hotels but wondered if it was a bit far from everything, glad to know for future reference to continue the search in this area. Incredible street art. Reply #4, picture #2, there is even so much detail put into chimney tops! Another favorite photo was of the stairs. I spent a month there, in a studio owned by one of my thesis advisors. It was very small inside but had a large terrasse/patio. Lagatta, how wonderful to have been able to spend a month there! We were surprised to be given a room in Paris last month that had a very large terrasse (6th floor) and it was wonderful to come back at the end of the day to spend time there before dinner. |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 12, 2019 14:43:06 GMT
There is a bus (forget its number) that goes down through Trastevere and to the bus hub near Torre Argentina, where there is a famous cat sanctuary (had to get that in). Tram line 8 now comes from somewhere or other to the front of the Roma Trastevere train station and then on to Piazza Venezia at the foot of the Vittorio Emmanuele monument. I was impressed by the number of trams running up and down viale di Trastevere. They seemed to be even more frequent than in Paris. |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 12, 2019 14:58:55 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 12, 2019 19:01:57 GMT
This visit was followed by a restaurant lunch. The house wine was outstanding, the food was fine, the waiter was rather snotty, and we were charged 3 euros for a bottle of tap water. What was the price of bottled water? Things are quite different in France (not necessarily better -- I'm not saying that.) The bill was printed with a huge notice in English: SERVICE IS NOT INCLUDED. Oh well. |
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Post by bjd on Jun 12, 2019 19:16:04 GMT
Like everyone else on here, we liked Trastevere a lot. After wandering around other parts of Rome, we went there for a break and a rest. And I also took a ton of photos of the mosaics in that church.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 12, 2019 23:46:13 GMT
I do too. I had no such restaurant trouble, but I was with Romani di Roma. And a Sicilian (my thesis advisor). Trastevere is a lovely place to stay, but don't overlook the slightly more modern (19th, early 20th century) neighbourhoods uphill from it. I found them enchanting, excellent for shopping on a grad student budget, and very easy access to Trastevere, the city centre and San Lorenzo (a university district).
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 13, 2019 10:55:36 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Jun 13, 2019 13:43:17 GMT
You found the cat sanctuary!
Mich, I was studying in Italy - Perugia and Rome.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 13, 2019 14:09:00 GMT
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this thread and how grateful I am that you made it.
Kerouac makes it sound as though I have a stash of really dazzling pictures to add, but in my mind, he was the official documentarian for this section of Rome and gave us lovely and unexpected looks at it. I did take a few snaps and will add them when I find them.
Trastevere is indeed charming and made more so by contrast with much of Rome, which to me can seem generically big-city. Of course that does make coming across 2500 year old remains of the earlier city even more excitingly fun. We were in Trastevere fairly early and I noted that the tourist count rose as lunchtime approached, but that earlier it was fairly easy to pretend the place is undiscovered.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 13, 2019 15:52:27 GMT
Thanks to everyone. In spite of how beautiful it is, I will have to say that central Rome is seriously lacking in tree-lined streets, unlike the big European cities farther north. Trastevere had quite a few more trees than most of the rest of Rome, and that is what I appreciated the most.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 13, 2019 16:59:53 GMT
That is still true overall. It seems better now, but my first glimpse of Rome (arriving from Paris) was that is was very grimy. And more street harassment (I was a lot younger). Warm friendships, but also the phenomenon of restaurant owners and staff making rulings about thing such as a fee for tap water. Some did, others were friendly and helpful. Testaccio is also an interesting district, but less green than Trastevere. It was an ancient port and has a hill made of ancient amphorae, as well as the slaughterhouse district (like la Villette). Obviously gentrified to some extent, but still a good destination for decent Roman food at reasonable prices: www.romeing.it/testaccio-neighbourhood-rome/The large market has been rebuilt. www.mercatoditestaccio.it It has retained its atmosphere - can't blame the people for wanting a market with modern hygiene. Great variety of "banchi" (shops and stalls). Wine available on tap (by the glass or bottle). Wonderful Roman faces; since Roman sculpture, unlike its Greek forebear was often "realistic" one can often see the same faces as on ancient busts. Guardian food writer Rachel Roddy lives nearby with her Sicilian husband and their Roman-Sicilian-English little boy. |
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Post by bjd on Jun 13, 2019 19:16:17 GMT
When we went to Rome 10 years ago, we stayed with friends who had lived abroad for many years and then returned to Rome. He was originally from Trastevere, but now they live in the suburbs on the way to Ostia. When we went out for dinner, it was to Testaccio.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 13, 2019 20:17:09 GMT
Testaccio ... has a hill made of ancient amphorae  When we went out for dinner, it was to Testaccio. My airbnb landlady talked up Trastevere as though it was unknown to tourists and claimed that's where she and her parents went out to eat. I'm pretty sure that Trastevere is mentioned in every guide, blog, and website for tourists. Again, Kerouac really is the one who documented this lovely region, but I do have some pictures and he has already done the heavy lifting of supplying narrative, so here goes ~ |
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 13, 2019 21:00:18 GMT
Wow....despite the fact that I'm a raddled old atheist the artwork in these churches never ceases to amaze and delight. I can appreciate the calm 'spirituality' of these sacred spaces as much as the next person. Thank you for the excellent visuual treat. My word but it looks HOT there....
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 14, 2019 12:14:48 GMT
It was a hot day, Cheery! Full disclosure is that we didn't mean to include churches in our walk around the district unless one looked particularly interesting. Well, appearances can be deceiving, especially in such a medieval area. But honestly, the main reason for entering the churches initially was because they were so delightfully and naturally cooool inside. We were definitely blessed with avoiding sunstroke, at least! When I realized that I was about to overwhelm Kerouac's excellent thread with far too many pictures of churches, I decided to take those pictures off into a separate thread in Maritime Museum. Due to my lack of research, I had not realized the treasury of mosaics to be found in Trastevere. I do have a few more non-ecclesiastical pictures to put in this thread, and thank Kerouac for the opportunity. |
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Post by lagatta on Jun 14, 2019 15:03:27 GMT
I popped into churches for the same reason. Usually with something to read (rarely religious, unless I was in one of my Franciscan moods, when in Umbria). This thread has me very nostalgic.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 14, 2019 23:44:22 GMT
The last of my Trastevere pictures, which made me realize all over again how this area needs to be re-visited if I ever go back to Rome ~ |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 15, 2019 0:02:15 GMT
That first photo gives an indication of the riverside event that was being set up that morning. They were moving in huge amounts of food and drink in all of the little tents. We would have loved to see what became of all of it, but you just can't do everything.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 15, 2019 0:13:02 GMT
I recognized the ruins right away from the research I did, I have to see them for myself someday.
Are then tents for the Market?
I must have posted the at the same time.
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Post by leventdelanuit on Jun 15, 2019 8:49:01 GMT
Trastevere is victim to gentrification, especially since an American University settled in the neighbourhood. It has quite a lively night scene. It is polluted by AirBnb, with landlords originating from Rome to Silicon Valley. Like Monti, Trastevere is one of thoses places that make a tourist believe (s)he is different from all other tourists.
Thank God all shops and bars accept Visa and American Express.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 15, 2019 11:11:02 GMT
The square is Largo di Torre Argentina. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo_di_Torre_Argentina I've mentioned it before due to the cat sanctuary. There is also a famous theatre there, as well as the ruins of an ancient one: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo_di_Torre_Argentina "Argentina" was the Italian form of a Roman name for Strasbourg - I always thought it was named for the South American country home to a huge number of Italian emigrants. The sign not to feed the cats is because the cats are fed proper cat food by the cat sanctuary staff and volunteers. Many Roman cat lovers (gattare f and gattari m), most of them pensioners, have always fed the cats, but poor pensioners were likely to feed them pasta, ill-adapted to cats' nutritional needs. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_Argentina_Cat_SanctuaryThe area used to be the terminus for several bus lines; I don't know whether it still is or if the new trams have taken over... There is also a tavola calda, Il Delfino. It was quite decent, but don't know whether it still is (it does still exist). |
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Post by lagatta on Jun 15, 2019 11:17:37 GMT
Trastevere was already a tourist attraction 30 or 40 years ago, but not like nowadays with airbnb expelling local residents. There certainly was NOT an American university - what's the point, to prevent US students from meeting Romans or people from other countries? That seems rather sad.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 21, 2019 1:38:57 GMT
Actually, LaGatta, the American universities in various foreign cities allow English-speaking students to study abroad and get US university credit while doing so. It seems like a dream come true for a person who wants to learn another culture, but whose skills in the language of that culture are not yet up to studying at the university level. The American University in Rome was founded in 1969.
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Post by lugg on Jul 1, 2019 11:09:03 GMT
Really enjoyed this thread. After reading this one and Bixa's has made me consider Rome for a weekend. I have never really wanted to go for some reason , I am not sure why because I love Italy.
I think your photo of the woman bathing in the rays of sunshine is fabulous K2.
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