Rome/Aventino-Testaccio

Aventine

Roundtheworld

• Parco SavelloParco Savello is the name of the grounds and orange grove next to the Santa Sabina church at the top of the Aventino and also where you have one of the best views of the city. Families gather here to sit under the dozens of orange trees. The "Giardino degli Aranci" is also a well known spot for lovers at night. The best views are arguably from Janiculum hill, just across the Tevere (Tiber) river. Immediately below you, the Tiber snakes its way through the city, and directly beyond it you can see the lively medieval quarter of Trastevere. Beyond that is the majestic dome of St. Peter's Basilica, with the historic centre of Rome visible to the right.

• Basilica of Santa SabinaA 5th Century basilica, simply and attractively decorated. The wooden door, of which 18 carved panels of scenes from the Bible survive, is believed to date from the church's construction.

(WT-shared) Tappinen at wts wikivoyage

• Keyhole ViewThe most popular thing on the Aventino hill itself is to take a peek through the keyhole that lets you look through three countries (the third is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which owns the building that the keyhole belongs to) and see St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City perfectly framed between two rows of trees.

• Santa Maria in Cosmedin

  address: Piazza Bocca della Verità
  A medieval church dating from the 6th Century and home to the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth). The Bocca della Verità at the entrance to the church is thought to be a 1st Century manhole cover. It is believed that if you put your hand in the mouth and tell a lie, the hand will be bitten off. Queues for the privilege of risking this can get rather long. Don't ignore the church, which is a gem, and has a separate entrance. Its mosaic floor in the Cosmatesque style is more rustic and less intricate than some others (Santa Maria in Trastevere, for example), but its simplicity gives it a solidity not found in the more ornate styles. S.M. in Cosmedin has a fine medieval choir enclosure and the tallest medieval belfry in Rome.

(WT-shared) Roundtheworld at wts wikivoyage

• Piazza Bocca della VeritàIn addition to Santa Maria in Cosmedin there is a lot to be seen around this piazza. Opposite the church is the round temple dedicated to Hercules Invictus (the Unconquered Hercules), and not far from that the rectangular Fortuna Virilis, both constructed in the 1st Century. Opposite, to the back of the piazza is the Arch of Argentari and behind that the church of San Giorgio in Velabro, the front of which was repaired after being damaged by a terrorist bomb in July 1993.

• Circus MaximusThe contours of the ancient stadium, first built in the 6th Century B.C., are still visible in what is now a park in the shadow of the Palatine. Circus Maximus was primarily devoted to chariot races and was used for this purpose until around 550 A.D. The stadium could seat up to 150,000 people. Originally built of wood, it burnt down twice, on the second occasion starting the great fire when the Emperor Nero was said to fiddle while Rome burned. It was in one of the tunnels here that Caligula met his end. Excavations began in April 2009 at the east end of the circus and are likely to go on for some years.

• Rose GardenA relaxing place to sit and recover from the exertions of sightseeing. Permanent collection plus annual competition.

• FAOThe enormous building at the southeast end of the Circus Maximus is the headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). From its roof are undoubtedly the best views of Rome, but you will need to know someone who works there to get past the strict security.

• The CelioThe Celian Hill is one of the seven hills of Rome. You immediately see the church of San Gregorio Magno. On this site monks were trained before setting off as missionaries to England at the end of the 6th Century. Further up the hill is Santi Giovanni e Paolo. At this point it is difficult to believe you are in the middle of a major city. This church was built in 398 over the home of two Roman soldiers, John and Paul, who were martyred for their Christian beliefs in 362. Excavations show that there were several burials on the site, a risky business as burials were illegal at that time. After the church you come to the back entrance of the Villa Celimontana park (jazz festival nightly in late June-August). The modern buildings before you reach the park are owned by Silvio Berlusconi’s television company. By the main entrance of the park note the boat-like fountain known as the “Navicella”. As you exit the main entrance to the left is the church of S. Maria in Domnica, which has some interesting mosaics. Next to this church is the Porta Esquilina, one of the gates from the original Servian walls of Rome. It dates back to the 4th Century BC.

• Terme di Caracalla

  address: Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
  Inaugurated in 217 A.D. and used until the 6th Century. The baths were big enough for 1600 bathers at a time. Impressive and well-preserved. Used for operas in summer months (see Opera di Roma for details) and was the location for the famous "three tenors" concert in July 1990, at the time of the World Cup (soccer).

• San SabaIn the 8th and 9th century, San Saba was one of the most prestigious monasteries of Rome. The church has been built up over many centuries and contains a variety of architectural styles. Worth a look are the floor mosaics and some interesting frescoes on the left side of the church.

• Servian Wall

  address: Via di Sant' Anselmo
  The Servian Wall was the first wall around Rome, built around the 3rd Century BC. This well-preserved section gives a good opportunity to see the construction methods used at that time, involving the use of blocks of tufa rock.

• Roman Houses

  address: Clivo di Scauro
  Early Roman houses dating back to the 1st Century, believed to be homes of early Christians. Well-preserved frescoes and a small museum.

• Sant'Anselmo all'AventinoHome of the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation and Benedictine monks studying in Rome. Visit the monastic produce shop and listen to the best Gregorian chant in Rome during Vespers (7.15pm each evening).

Testaccio

(WT-en) Elgaard

• Pyramid of Gaius CestiusA tomb for the wealthy Gaius Cestius, who died in 12 B.C. Admission to the monument only by guided tours on specific dates (2nd and 4th Saturday every month, and in combination with a ticket to the Museum of Via Ostiense also on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month).

• Porta San PaoloNext door to the Pyramid, this fine gate in the Aurelian Wall is named after St. Paul as the Via Ostiense leads to the basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls (see Rome/South).

• Museum of Via Ostiense

  phone: +39 06 574 3193
  This is a small museum housed inside Porta San Paolo, which records the importance to Rome of the road that connected it to the harbour at Ostia. There are models of old Ostia and Trajan's harbor.

• Testaccio Market

  address: Via Galvani and Via Alessandro Volta
  Great place to see the wide range of fresh produce available in Italy. Fish and flower stalls as well. Stock up here for picnics to sustain you while sightseeing.

• Taverna Cestia

  phone: +39 065743754
  address: Via Piramide Cestia, 65
  Excellent traditional Roman restaurant. Menu only in Italian, and the waiters do not speak much English. They have a good selection of seafood, and the seafood spaghetti is great.

• Court Delicati

  phone: +39 06 5746108
  address: Viale Aventino 43
  In a city not known for its Chinese restaurants, this is one of the best. The owners are Malay Chinese and in addition to the standard Chinese restaurant fare there are many interesting Malay dishes, as well as some Thai dishes.

• Da Bucatino

  phone: +39 06-5746886
  address: Via Luca della Robbia 84, Testaccio
  Popular multi-roomed restaurant serving traditional Roman dishes.

• Tutti Frutti

  phone: +39 06 57 57 902
  address: Via Luca della Robbia 3A
  Excellent Roman cooking at a good price. Menu in Italian and in English. Waiters speak English.

• Volpetti

  phone: +39 06 5742352
  address: Via Marmorata 47
  Delicatessen rivalling any other delicatessen in the world. Some items - even pasta - have to be ordered weeks in advance. Also have a small cafe "Taverna Volpetti" round the corner (in Via Alessandro Volta 8) with a wonderful range of true Italian food at decent prices.

• Ristorante Antico Forno

  phone: +39 06 574 6280
  address: Via Amerigo Vespucci 28
  Very nice for Pizza and first courses.

• Il Cantinone

  phone: +39 06 574 6253
  address: Piazza Testaccio, 31
  Good for typical Roman cuisine. Good fresh fish and seafood.

• Felice

  address: Via Mastro Giorgio, 29

• Augustarello

  address: Via Giovanni Branca 98
  Good for typical Roman cuisine.

• Checchino

  phone: +39 065743816
  address: via di Monte Testaccio, 30
  Excellent for typical Roman cuisine, with dishes owing much to the fact that Rome's abattoir used to be opposite.

• Flavio al Velavevodetto

  phone: +39 06 5744194
  address: Via di Monte Testaccio, 97/99
  Very good for typical Roman and other Italian cuisine.

• Pizzeria da Remo

  phone: +39 065746270
  address: Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice 44
  One of the best for pizza.

• Acqua e Farina

  phone: +39 065741382
  address: Piazza Giustiniani, 2
  Very good for pizza and a lot of particular recipes.

• Il Grottino

  address: Via Marmorata 165
  Good pizza place. Get there early at weekends.

• Pizzeria Nuovo Mondo

  phone: +39 065746004
  address: Via Amerigo Vespucci 9/17
  Very good for pizza.

• Ristorante Novecento

  phone: +39 0657250445
  address: Via dei Conciatori, 10
  An amazing restaurant with very good pizza but the specialities are the pastas and the desserts (the ricotta mousse is delightful).

• L’Oasi della Birra

  phone: +39 06 574 6122
  address: Piazza Testaccio 41
  In a basement underneath a wine shop opposite Testaccio market, L’Oasi della Birra is a bar with a wide selection of beers from Italy and around the world on offer, as well as some interesting food to go with the beer. The selection of Italian wines in the shop above is excellent too. Ageing red wines are stored in the cellar next to the bar.

• Abitart Art Hotel

  phone: +39 064543191
  address: Via P. Matteucci, 10/20
  Design rooms & suites with private bathrooms and breakfast included. art exhibitions, Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, company agreements, inner restaurant with DJ set.

• Gazometro B&B Rome

  phone: +39 06 70490436
  address: Via del Gazometro 19
  Dus, twin, double, and triple guestrooms, all with private bathrooms and breakfast included. Single: € 50, double: € 60-90, triple € 70-110.

• Hotels Aventine, San Anselmo and San Pio

  phone: +39 06 570057
  address: in a residential area on the Aventine hill, very close to each other. 600m from Ostiense station if coming from Fiumicino Airport.
  Three quiet hotels run by the same group and sharing the same phone number. Can fill up during conferences of FAO (see above) so wise to book in advance.

• Hotel Re Testa Rome

  phone: +39 06 69941256
  address: Via Beniamino Franklin, 4
  The Re Testa is a three star hotel of Rome Testaccio with 36 single, twin, double and triple bedrooms and a few self-catering apartments capable to host up to four people. All with en-suites services, shower, internet Wi-Fi, satellite TV and included breakfast. Single: 99 Euros. Double: 121 Euros.