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RIONE PRATI E CAMPO MARZIO
Prati is one of the most fascinating Umbertine neighborhoods of Rome; this has been the case since its birth immediately after the capture of Rome. Part of its success is certainly due to its location: the Tiber divides it from the ancient Renaissance city, making it visually close but difficult to reach. Until the construction of the new post-unitary bridges, at the end of the nineteenth century, to reach Prati or you took a long journey passing from Ponte di Castello (now Ponte Sant'Angelo) and crossing the Borgo district or you ventured on small and unstable boats, which served as a ferry. Known was the "barrel-iron" of the boatman Toto Bigi, known as "Bocalone" for his habit of drinking heavily. Toto's ferry was at the port of Ripetta and was identifiable by the writing: «Here the boat passes us».
Until the capture of Rome in 1870, Prati di Castello was an agricultural area behind Castel Sant’Angelo, in Roman times it was a place of delight, as there were large and luxurious patrician gardens. In the Middle Ages there were fields and orchards where, not infrequently, the enemy armies that besieged the city encamped. It was also the place where people traditionally went to have snacks and drinks sitting on the grass or on the benches of rustic taverns. It is perhaps for this ancestral association for leisure that the district became, from the beginning, the seat of places dedicated to entertainment.
At the time of the Antonines, the area on which the district extends was the scene of a huge one boom edilizio which led to the construction of temples, theaters, arcades, stadiums and baths. They counted over 2777 insulae e 140 domus patrizie which, even today, we can trace on Forma Urbis, the marble map of the city commissioned by Septimius Severus at the beginning of the third century.
Borders: piazzale Flaminio, via Luisa di Savoia, lungotevere Arnaldo da Brescia, lungotevere in Augusta, piazza del Porto di Ripetta, lungotevere Marzio, via del Cancello, via dei Portoghesi, via della Stelletta, piazza Campo Marzio, via degli Uffici del Vicario, via of Campo Marzio, piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina, via Frattina, piazza Mignanelli, via dei Due Macelli, via Capo le Case, via Francesco Crispi, via di Porta Pinciana, viale del Muro Torto.
The coat of arms of the district is a silver half-moon on a blue background.
The first Regulatory Plan for Roma Capitale, dated 1873, did not include the construction of Prati but, due to the strong interest of the owners of the land, a special derogation was envisaged with a project outside the plan. Italo Insolera recalls: "...Prati was thrown into the adventure of speculation: in 1873 the land of the Consortium of the owners of Prati was worth from 3 to 7 lire per square meter; ten years later they will be valued at 75 lire"(Modern Rome). Will be the Plan of 1883 which will officially include the area in the urban plan of the city.
The Municipal Council of Rome dictated a precise indication for the new district: avoid the perspective view of the dome of San Pietro. We are in post-unification Italy, with secular and anticlerical governments, a Pope who felt unjustly and arbitrarily expropriated of his state and an excommunicated king; certainly not easy relations between Church and State. This explains why the long streets of the neighborhood were drawn in such a way as to avoid the perspective of the Vatican dome.
The Campo Marzio district, it is located in one of the oldest areas of Rome which, since ancient times, was consecrated to the god Marte and used for military exercises.
Today, it is a place lively and elegant, almost totally dedicated to shopping e al relax. Here, in fact, you can indulge in the wildest shopping in the luxury shops or sip a cocktail in some of the more sumptuous hotels of the Historic Center. The Campo Marzio district includes streets and squares such as piazza del Popolo, piazza di Spagna, via dei Condotti e Via Margutta, via Borgognona, via del Babuino e via della Croce: a corner of the city among the most refined and sought after in which to stroll among the boutiques and ateliers of the most famous fashion and accessories names in the world.
Among the monuments, archaeological sites and most important buildings of worship present here, we recall among others, fascinating and well-known places such as the Parco del Pincio, from whose terrace you can admire unforgettable sunsets, the sixteenth century Villa Medici, seat of the French Academy, and the Casina Valadier, a delightful neoclassical style villa located at the highest point of Villa Borghese, la Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo, one of the most significant buildings of the Roman Renaissance which houses works by Raphael, Pinturicchio, Bernini and Caravaggio, the Chiesa della Santissima Trinità dei Monti, one of the five French-speaking Catholic churches of Rome, the Museo dell’Ara Pacis which houses theAra Pacis Augustae, the monument that celebrates the victories of Augustus and symbolizes the establishment of peace in the Roman Empire after about one hundred years of wars, the Mausoleo di Augusto, the tomb that the emperor had built for himself and his family: forty-four meters high and eighty-nine in diameter around which there was a grove of poplars and laurels, where you could walk - as Goethe wrote - next to the "death immortal".
At the time of the Antonines, the area on which the district extends was the scene of a huge one boom edilizio which led to the construction of temples, theaters, arcades, stadiums and baths. They counted over 2777 insulae e 140 domus patrizie which, even today, we can trace on Forma Urbis, the marble map of the city commissioned by Septimius Severus at the beginning of the third century.
Borders: piazzale Flaminio, via Luisa di Savoia, lungotevere Arnaldo da Brescia, lungotevere in Augusta, piazza del Porto di Ripetta, lungotevere Marzio, via del Cancello, via dei Portoghesi, via della Stelletta, piazza Campo Marzio, via degli Uffici del Vicario, via of Campo Marzio, piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina, via Frattina, piazza Mignanelli, via dei Due Macelli, via Capo le Case, via Francesco Crispi, via di Porta Pinciana, viale del Muro Torto.
The coat of arms of the district is a silver half-moon on a blue background.
QUARTIERE TREVI
This late Baroque work is one of the most significant monuments in Rome. In 19 BC Agrippa decided to build a long canal to transport water to Rome. Pope Nicholas V entrusted the creation of the current fountain.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini but the project was abandoned upon the death of Pope Urban VIII in 1644. In 1732, Pope Clement XII hired Niccolò Savi to continue the work: the result was a Baroque masterpiece. The fountain has a scenographic effect, guaranteed by the limited space of the places that surround it, presenting itself as a sort of theatre. The central niche represents Neptune driving a chariot pulled by sea horses and the water flows over rocks before converging in the pool below. According to legend, if you throw a coin into the fountain making a wish, it will come true and you will surely return to Rome. In just 5 minutes walk from the Trevi Fountain it is located Piazza di Spagna, one of the most beautiful squares in Rome, and the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, popular for being a meeting point for tourists and Romans. From the terrace of the staircase you can enjoy an exceptional panorama. The strategic position of the Town House Fontana di Trevi offers an excellent starting point for visiting the main monuments and museums of the city; in fact, a few meters from the town house there are the "Barberini" and "Piazza di Spagna" metro stops which will take you to St. Peter's Square, the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum in less than 10 minutes. The Vatican area will surprise the visitor with its extremely fascinating atmosphere, thanks to the majesty of the Basilica di San Pietro, dei Musei Vaticani, della Cappella Sistina, delle Camere di Raffaello e di Castel Sant’Angelo, attractions for pilgrims from all over the world. The famous Colosseum, the majestic Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum, capture the visitor's imagination thanks to their archaeological majesty. Near the Palatine Hill is the famous Domus Aurea of Nero. In Via dei Fori Imperiali, you can discover the ancient Forum of Trajan and that of Caesar. Continuing on your journey you will reach the spectacular.
Piazza Venezia, with its imposing monument to Vittorio Emanuele II and Altare della Patria. In just ten minutes on foot you will also reach the beautiful area around the Pantheon e a Piazza Navona.
The Pantheon it was built by Agrippa in 27 BC as a temple dedicated to all the gods. In 80AD it was damaged by fire and restored by Domitian. Later, the emperor Hadrian (117-38) completely rebuilt it. The temple was closed in the 4th century by the first Christian emperors but reopened in 608 transformed into a church dedicated to Santa Maria and the Martyrs. The Pantheon has a hemispherical dome and the only source of light comes from the hole at the top of the vault. Currently, one of the chapels inside the church contains the tomb of Vittorio Emanuele II (1820-78), the first king of united Italy; and the tomb of Raphael (who died at age 37 in 1520). Piazza Navona it is one of the most beautiful places in Rome which perfectly embodies its Eternal spirit. In the square there are three splendid fountains: that of the Rivers (created by Bernini), the fountain of Neptune and the fountain of the Moro.
So, visit Rome from the Trevi Fountain Town House and experience an unforgettable holiday!
