Country Article / Postcards
Rome, Italy
Date: 01/11/2005Dear International Living Reader,
For the "real" Rome, go to Trastevere and Testaccio.
Trastevere is across the river Tiber. Made up of a maze of cobbled streets and small squares housing craft shops, trattorias, and cozy bars, the best feature of this area is the lack of city-center traffic. It was an artisan area in classical times, and later was for centuries populated by immigrants. The area still draws artists and writers, many American, which explains the English-language cinema (Cinema Pasquino, Piazza san Egidio) and English bookshop (The Corner Bookshop, Via del Moro, 45).
Daytime, cats laze on crumbling walls and washing reigns high over narrow streets. But in the evenings, things liven up as the bars and restaurants open and crowds fill the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, a small amber-colored square at the heart of the district.
To sample authentic Roman food, go to Testaccio. The local specialty is la cucina romana, which dates from the time when bits of the animal were given to slaughterhouse workers as part of their wages, once the butchers had bought all the choice cuts. Offal, brains, and sweetbreads are the core ingredients of this dish. Its birthplace was in this working-class district, where the old abattoir still stands. If you've got a strong stomach, have a meal at Checchino dal 1887, Via Monte Testaccio 30; tel. (39)065-746-318. (Closed Sunday and Monday.) It's without a doubt the best and oldest restaurant specializing in Roman fare.
The city has a lively clubbing scene. The trendiest hangouts are in the area surrounding Monte Testaccio--an artificial hill built over the second and third centuries A.D. by piling discarded pieces of amphorae that carried oil and wine to this former port. By day Via de Monte Testaccio is desolate. But, as night falls, countless clubs and bars open for business and revelers gather from all over town.
Marta Patino
For International Living
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