They say all roads lead to Rome, and there is some truth in that. After all, almost every traveler wants to visit this Eternal City. When going on a trip, tourists first of all think about which area of Rome is better to stay in? Let's talk about how this city works, how best to choose a suitable place to stay and what makes different parts of the city remarkable.
Geographic location
Rome occupies almost 1500 km2, according to the myth it lies on 7 hills, but this is true today only in relation to the historical quarters, because the city has grown in breadth and there are more hills. The capital of Italy and the administrative center of the Lazio region includes the Vatican city-state and has more than 2500 years of history. The ancient regions of Rome remember even pre-Christian times. The city is located on both banks of the Tiber River, not far from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The rolling plain on which Rome extends is surrounded on all sides by small mountains.
History
Telling the story of Rome is like telling the story of European civilization. You can study it while walking around the city. After all, the oldest and newest districts of Rome bear the imprint of time. There are ruins of the pre-Christian period, narrow medieval streets, ancient churches, Renaissance palaces, fashionable houses of the bourgeoisie of the 19th century, buildings from the Mussolini regime and buildings of the latest architecture. This city is history itself. But in order to explore Rome with high quality, without spending a lot of time on the road and enjoying your stay, you need to correctly answer the question, in which area of Rome to stay? To do this, you need to understand how the Eternal City works. Its special character is due to the fact that over the centuries it has performed two important functions: it is the capital of the state and the center of the Christian religion. Therefore, there are administrative districts with large-scale official buildings, as well as a large number of cathedrals, not counting the main Catholic church.
Historic layout
The development of Rome reflects its long historical path. The systematic development of Rome in accordance with the plan began in the 16th century, when, according to the idea of the Roman popes, the radial layout of the city was adopted: straight streets depart from large squares. Long streets - via, furnished with houses in the palace style, and today represent the basis of many areas of the city. The second "revolution" in the building of Rome took place at the end of the 19th century, when the city was freed from papal authority. At this time, new streets appeared, bridges were built across the Tiber,parts of ancient Rome have been cleared. At the beginning of the 20th century, new residential areas of Prati, Monti were built, for this purpose the older buildings were destroyed. Only the district of Trastevere manages to preserve its appearance to the greatest extent. With the coming to power of the fascist regime, the architecture of Rome began to gravitate more and more to the imperial scale, and blocks of old narrow streets were demolished under new wide avenues. After the fall of Mussolini's rule, new modern districts appeared in the city. And for the 1960 Olympic Games, an ultra-modern Olympic village is being built. Today, the city includes areas of mass residential development, but they are of little interest to tourists.
Administrative divisions
The first attempt to divide Rome into territorial units was made as early as the 6th century BC. e. The second stage of the administrative division falls on the Middle Ages, when 12 main districts of the city were identified. The modern system took shape at the end of the 19th century. Today Rome is officially divided into 19 municipalities. Within them, 22 historical districts stand out with their own history, mythology and sights, 35 blocks and six suburbs. Almost 3 million people live in this entire territory and at least the same number of tourists come every year. The most interesting for travelers, the best areas of Rome, belong to the municipality number 1. It has 22 territorial units. The most recent addition to this municipality was the district of Prati. He and Borgo are the only parts of the city outside the historical wall of Aurelian.
Historic districts of Rome
Since the end of the 19th century, a modern administrative-territorial system has been formed. By the 20s of the 20th century, the districts acquired their modern state. All the historical districts of Rome in 1980 were included in the list of sites protected by UNESCO. There are more than 25 thousand unique historical and architectural objects on this territory. Therefore, it is advisable for tourists to settle closer to the sights, but you need to remember that Rome is a big city and therefore there is no local center in which all interesting places would be concentrated. In addition to officially recognized historical districts, even smaller divisions of territories exist within these units. Local residents keep the historical names of places or assign them new ones in order to specify the location of certain objects. For example, around the Campo dei Fiori market there is a quarter of the same name, the territory next to the Pantheon is called that. In any case, you need to decide on priorities and a program, and then choose a location.
Where is the best place?
Each area of the Eternal City has its own characteristics, its own set of attractions and even its own character and atmosphere. The choice of location in Rome is related to the tastes and goals of the traveler. If there are many trips from Rome to the suburbs and other regions of the country, then the Termini station area will be the best option. If the task is to visit as many authentic restaurants as possible, then you need to look atpopular district of Testaccio. It is here that traditional restaurants with Roman cuisine are located. If you want to settle in a typical Roman place, then the choice is better to make in favor of Trastevere.
For shopping lovers, the ideal location is the area next to the Spanish Steps. All fashionistas tend to settle in Monti, so the prices here are appropriate. But the atmosphere of the place is worth it. Thus, the question of where it is better to settle does not have a clear answer, everything here is determined by personal preferences. The good news is that there are many hotels in Rome, for every taste and budget. They are mainly concentrated in the historical quarters, so you need to look at the set of attractions and features of the main places to stay. And yet, the space from Campo dei Fiori and Navona to the Pantheon is considered the most desirable place. This is perhaps the real center of Rome. Areas of squares are the most beautiful places in Rome and the most charming, there are many churches, fountains, palaces. It may take several days to see this small area.
Ancient Rome
The oldest part of the city is the Roman Forum, the Baths of Titus and Trajan, the triumphal arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, all of these are the oldest areas of Rome, where it is best to devote time to exploring archaeological sites.
Administratively, these sights are included in two districts - Monti and Celio. In addition to the ancient ruins, there are many attractions here: in the quarters you can find more than 50 churches, from the most famous ones, such as Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Clement, tounpopular but interesting (Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Fonte and Chiesa di Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio). There are still about 10 palaces preserved here. The most interesting of them are Lateran and Exhibition. These districts have preserved part of the historical buildings and successfully combine them with wide avenues. Walking here is a pleasure. In addition, Monti is known for its nightlife, the largest number of clubs, discos, trendy bars are collected here. And Celio, on the contrary, is considered a quieter and more intimate area. There are a lot of old Roman-style houses with elegant balconies and stunning views of the Colosseum.
Trastevere
Those who want to see postcard Rome should go to Trastevere. This is another very popular area for tourists. Medieval buildings of narrow streets with small plastered houses have been preserved here. Today the area is very promoted, there are many cafes and restaurants, the prices are also tourist prices. Important sights of the area are the churches of Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, which have stood here since the first centuries of Christianity. The atmosphere of Trastevere has now become too noisy and vain, so the former patriarchal silence can no longer be found here. The area is separated from the main attractions by a decent distance, so it is not very convenient to settle here when planning to see the city.
Esquilino
Another large district formed around the station. The Termini area in Rome, according to tradition, is considered too dirty, noisy andunsafe. But that reputation is long gone. Now it is quite clean here, there are many cafes with reasonable prices. And the station offers to use grocery supermarkets that work at night and on weekends, which is a rarity for Rome. From here it is convenient to travel outside the city, and the hotels around will suit even the most economical tourists. Since the stations have been heavily guarded and patrolled by the police lately, the area has become quite safe, with the exception of bus platforms at night. In addition to the station, there are several worthy churches and interesting streets in Exvilino.
Trevi and Borgo
Another place adored by tourists is Trevi, as well as all the main areas of Rome. Reviews of tourists most often mention the sights of this quarter. After all, there is something to see here: more than 15 palaces, about 20 interesting squares, 3 famous fountains, more than 25 churches. And there are just too many bars, restaurants and shops!
Borgo is interesting, of course, by the Vatican. The distance from Castel Sant'Angelo to St. Peter's Basilica is short, but full of interesting places and sights. Living in the vestibule of the Vatican is pleasant and calm, although the prices here cannot be called low.
