Gina and I embarked on our exploration to Tesstacio, the twentieth rione of Rome, by hopping on the number 30 bus and aimlessly wondering the streets of this unknown area. Tesstacio was established in 1921 and is represented by a testae, which was utilized by ancient Romans to hold oil and wine. We arrived in Tesstacio around 4:00 after our classes ended, so many of the restaurants, bars, and shops were closed. However, I was still able to get a sense of the landscape and atmosphere of the rione. My first impression of Tesstacio was that it was much quieter and not as busy as the city center as there were not as many cars, scooter, or people on foot. Although the rione is still in the city, it seemed much more serene than the atmosphere of the city center. There were two parks and a square where couples and individuals sat to take in some Roman sunlight. Architecturally the rione is composed of modern and historic buildings in conjunction with cement streets, dissimilar from the cobblestone streets of the city center. While researching online I stumbled upon a website dedicated to the rione titled, “A new rione having a long history” which I found interesting when compared to the historic and contemporary architecture; a juxtaposition of old and new.
Since the streets were desolate, Gina and I decided to grab a cappuccino in a local bar and conduct an interview with a barista. Our barista’s name was Luca, and he is a resident of Tesstacio. He has long shaggy hair and an untamed beard with tattoos and a shirt with a visual of The Doors. “I like Tesstacio because it is small and has a lot of history.” This was a great exemplification of an Italian youth, visually involved in contemporary culture, but also showing an appreciation and connection to the rione’s history. He continued, “there is a separation in the rione because there is an area of small businesses and then an area of nightlife” which exemplifies the weave of the youth and the older generations within the rione.
Many tourists I have spoken to informed me of the vibrant nightlife of Tesstacio. One night out, I was introduced to a study abroad student from New York who told me her favorite place to go out in Rome was Tesstacio. “The area is really fun and lively. There are a lot of places to go.” She lives in the outskirts of Rome, but takes the bus to Tesstacio to party at the nightclubs and bars. I know that members from Arcigay take advantage of the nightlife in Tesstacio as well. I was recommended some clubs to go to and a group of us went a few nights later. However, our excursion to the nightclubs there was not successful. The bouncers at every single bar would not let us in their nightclub and it seemed very exclusive. This event discouraged me from heading back to Tesstacio to test out the nighttime activities, but I am going to give it another shot this weekend and report back to the class.
While volunteering at Iqbal Massih, Paula mentioned that she lives in Tesstacio and that she loves the rione. She said that the nightlife was “so so” which contradicts the preference of the young tourist who raved of the nightlife the rione has to offer. This could be that Tesstacio nightclubs and bars are prevalent locations for younger people and for tourists. Paula also told us that the two soccer teams, roma and lazio, create a lot of tension within the rione because many of the players hang out and live in the area. She continued to say that fights break out in the market due to the “futbol divisions.” In addition, she told us it is imperative that we visit the morning market, which specializes in meat products.
I am glad I have the opportunity to break the borders of the campo and explore other areas of Rome that are imperative to the city’s culture and history. I am looking forward to spending another evening in Tesstacio, visiting the morning market, and hopefully indulging in some Tesstacio cuisine of meat.
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