Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring the lavishly ornate
Palazzo Corsini
and settling down to gaze at Caravag-
gio's sensual, youthful depiction of St John the Baptist.
Visiting the nuns' choir of the
Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
to see the
Cavallini fresco.
Feeling as if you're soaring over Rome: the views from
Gianicolo Hill
.
Enjoying the fantastical Raphael frescoes of
Villa Farnesina
.
Explore: Trastevere & Gianicolo
Trastevere is one of Rome's most vivacious neighbourhoods, an outdoor circus of ochre
and butterscotch
palazzi
(mansions), ivy-clad facades and photogenic cobbled lanes,
peopled with a bohemian and eclectic cast of tourists, travellers, students and street
sellers. The bohos and original Romans might be increasingly rubbing shoulders with
wealthy expats and American students from the local John Cabot University, as rental
prices in this most beguiling district go through the roof, but Trastevere still retains its dis-
tinct, very Roman character. The very name means 'across the Tiber'
(tras tevere)
, em-
phasising the sense of difference.
The area is ideal for aimless, contented wandering, home cooking in local trattorias and
an evening drink to watch the world go by: it's one of Rome's most happening districts
after dark, especially on summer evenings. There are also some beautiful sights here: glit-
tering Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of Rome's most charming churches,
Villa Farnesina contains superb frescoes by Raphael and others, and exquisitely frescoed
Palazzo Corsini is home to a dazzling, almost forgotten-feeling art collection. Close by are
the tranquil botanical gardens, and you can hike up Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) to see
Rome laid out before you like a dome-punctuated patchwork. Don't neglect to see
Bramante's perfect little Tempietto on your way up. To the east, Basilica di Santa Cecilia
in Trastevere is the resting place of St Cecilia, patron saint of music, with a wonderful,
hidden Cavallini fresco.
