Ivy-covered lanes, trattorias and the mosaics of Santa Maria
"Across the Tiber", as its name says, Trastevere is the most picturesque quarter of Rome: a maze of cobbled lanes, ochre houses covered with ivy and bougainvillea, small squares, artisans' workshops and trattorias. For centuries it was the quarter of workers and craftsmen, whose inhabitants considered themselves the most authentic Romans.
At its heart, Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the oldest churches in Rome, shines with twelfth century gold mosaics on the façade and in the apse, by Pietro Cavallini among others. Nearby are the church of Santa Cecilia, with Stefano Maderno's moving statue of the saint, and Villa Farnesina, with Raphael's frescoes. In the evening the quarter fills with people around the fountain in the main square.
Tip: on Sunday mornings the Porta Portese flea market opens nearby; for the view, climb from Trastevere up the Gianicolo.
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