Monti: the first district of the Eternal City

Proudly named the first Rione of Rome, Monti extends around the hills of Viminale and Esquilino, between the Imperial Forums and Termini station and includes some of the most beautiful spots in the city. Considered a young and “hipster” neighborhood, it coexists in harmony with history and that very convivial and trendy feeling, less touristy than others, while being well integrated into city life.

History and Culture
The original name was “Suburra” (which means “under the city”) and indicated that above the Rione was the heart of Rome, represented by the Forums. In fact, in Via della Ferratella there are the remains of the Aurelian walls built to separate the imperial city from the Rione Monti.

During the Middle Ages, many of the inhabitants of the Monti district moved to Campo Marzio, a flat area that was easier to live in. Those who remained in Monti took the name of monticiani and also adopted a dialect that differed from that spoken in other areas of Rome.

Monti remained a disreputable district, lacking any urban service until Rome became the capital of a united Italy in 1871. Hence the reconstitution of the neighborhood that began with two of the streets that are still symbols of the neighborhood today: Via Nazionale and Via Cavour.

Places not to be missed
Rich in history, Rione Monti includes some of the most significant points of interest for the city, from the oldest Basilicas to the Palaces full of wonders to visit.

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Elevated Church of San Lorenzo
Church of the Madonna dei Monti
Churches of San Clemente, Santa Prassede and San Pietro in Vincoli
Valentini Palace in Via IV Novembre
The Quirinal Stables
Exhibition Palace
House of the Knights of Rhodes
Brancaccio Palace
Viminale Palace
Shopping in the Rione
A neighborhood of small art galleries and wine bars, good restaurants, bars and a few artisans, one of the favorite areas of the city for young Romans and beyond.

What were once second-hand shops are now called vintage clothing shops: trendy places, stormed by the capital's fashion victims. So in the alleys of the Rione it is possible to find many shops dedicated to the art of vintage clothing.

A perfect embrace between history and worldliness
Rione Monti tells, as many other areas of the city, the perfect embrace that characterizes Rome: that between history and worldliness. The Eternal City is rich in culture and every stone tells its glorious past, but its true beauty lies in the harmony that this historicity creates together with the modernity that we find walking through the streets.

The “movida” is certainly one of the factors that can best explain this harmony and Rione Monti is undoubtedly one of the neighborhoods that best welcomes that public that loves social life. It could seem like a small village, a small oasis within Rome, where history, popular tradition and great modernity blend together.