Trastevere

Trastevere takes its name from the Latin trans Tiberim, across the Tiber, and for most of Rome's history it was a world apart: a district of sailors, artisans and immigrants on the river's west bank, proud of its own dialect and its own festival, the Festa de' Noantri, held each July. Today its lanes are among the most photographed in the city — ochre and terracotta houses hung with ivy and laundry, uneven cobbles, small squares where children kick footballs against church walls — and in the evening they fill with diners and drinkers from all over Rome. The heart is Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, with its fountain and the basilica that is one of the oldest churches in the city dedicated to the Virgin; its twelfth-century apse mosaics glitter with gold, and the facade mosaics glow at night. A short walk south, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere holds Stefano Maderno's moving marble of the martyred saint. To the north, the Renaissance Villa Farnesina contains frescoes by Raphael, including the Triumph of Galatea, and Palazzo Corsini houses part of the national collection of ancient art. On Sunday mornings the Porta Portese flea market sprawls along the southern edge. Above it all rises the Janiculum hill, the Gianicolo, reached by steps and lanes from the neighbourhood, with a panoramic terrace over the domes and bell towers of the whole city. Trastevere is free, open and endlessly walkable — the pleasure is in wandering rather than ticking off sights.

Two Trasteveres exist, and it pays to see both. By day the neighbourhood is relatively quiet: the churches are open, the light is beautiful in the lanes, and you can explore at your own pace — Santa Maria in Trastevere, the Piazza in Piscinula, Santa Cecilia, the quieter streets east of Viale di Trastevere where Romans still live. By evening it becomes one of the city's most animated districts, with tables spilling into every alley, wine bars full by early evening and a cheerful crush around the main piazza. Restaurants on the busiest corners can be hit and miss; the more interesting places are often in the lanes off Via della Lungaretta or across Viale di Trastevere, and booking ahead for dinner is wise on weekends.

Climb the Gianicolo at least once. From Trastevere, follow Via Garibaldi uphill past San Pietro in Montorio — whose courtyard holds Bramante's Tempietto, a tiny, perfect Renaissance temple — to the monumental Fontana dell'Acqua Paola and on to the terrace beside the Garibaldi monument. The view takes in the entire historic centre, and a cannon is traditionally fired at noon. It is a steep walk; a taxi or bus up and a stroll down is a gentler plan with children or in the heat.

Getting here is simple: walk across Ponte Sisto from Campo de' Fiori, or take the tram from Largo Argentina. Staying in Trastevere suits travellers who want neighbourhood atmosphere and evenings on the doorstep, and courtyard hotels such as the Santa Maria offer a calm base a few steps from the action. The trade-off is noise on weekend nights near the main piazzas and a longer walk to the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps, though the Vatican is reachable on foot along the river. For a first visit, plan at least one evening here, ideally after sunset at the Gianicolo: walk down through the lanes as the lights come on, find a table in a side street, and finish with a gelato by the fountain in front of Santa Maria. It is the Rome many visitors remember longest.