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| Coat of Arms |
Testaccio, rione number twenty, established in 1921, features a dual personality: a juxtaposition of old and contemporary, where working-class middle aged workers bustle the streets during the day and young, hip, and edgy Romans and tourists fill the streets at night hoping to slip into the chic night clubs. My first impression of Testaccio 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 of Rome, it seemed much more serene than the atmosphere of the city center. The cobblestone streets dwindle behind in the center of Rome, where as in Testaccio the streets and sidewalks are cement. The rione is not as “romanticized” as the city center, but still holds an ancient and modern charm. My partner, Gina, and I researched and walked the streets of this unknown, fresh rione attempting to decipher the pathway of our tour. Among our exploration I learned many fascinating informational facts on the history, culture, and current life in Testaccio.
History/Coat of Arms:
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| Monte Testaccio |
Testaccio was once a river port where goods such as olive oil and wine were imported via the Tiber River. The coat of arms of Testaccio pictures an image of an amphora, a terra cotta container used in antiquity for the storage and transportation of oil imported from the South of Spain. The rione was the origin of the dumping grounds for used amphorae between the 1st and 3rd centuries. These amphorae were produced in mass quantities and destroyed after transportation because it was simpler to produce new pots than clean the used ones. Once the amphorae were discarded, the pottery was covered with lime to prevent the oil from decomposing. Remarkably, the lime cemented the mass amounts of pottery together which created a man made hill of crockery that is about 135 feel high. This is very significant because many of the amphorae have the ancient producer’s seal stamped on the handle along with notes painted stating the exporters title, the contents within, and the date providing a primary documentation of the Roman Empire’s economy. Today this artificial hill is called, Monte Testaccio, the name in which Testaccio derived. This spot is now a tourist attraction in which one can pay to see the historical crockery cemented in time.
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| Piramide Cestia and Porta San Paolo |
The borders of the rione are formed by the Lungotevere Testaccio, the road following the Tiber River, Via Marmorata, and Viale del Campo Boario. At the tip of the rione lies the Piramide Cestia, Porta San Paolo and the Cimitero Acattolico These historical monuments along with other “hot spots” are special to the history and current life of Testaccio. The first, the Piramide Cestia is major archeological monument in Testaccio, which was built by Caius Cestius, very wealthy Roman in 13 BC to chamber his tomb after Egypt, became the Province of the Empire. Today this monument is a cat sanctuary where visitors can adopt and visit orphaned kitties.
Another major archeological monument in Testaccio is Porta San Paolo, one of the southern gates of the historic 3rd century Aurelian Walls of Rome. It was built 300 years after the Piramide Cestia. Historically, the gate was used by pilgrims to get to Basilica di S. Paolo, where the name of the gate derived. In the shadow of the Piramide Cestia resides the Cimentero acattolico, a Protestant and non-catholic cemetery. Many Protestant foreigners migrated to Rome in the early 18th century and were given a burial ground despite tensions between the locals and Protestants. Funerals at this cemetery could only occur at night and with quiet publicity. Many well-known individuals were buried at this cemetery including Goethe, his son, and John Keats. Today the cemetery is one of the greenest areas in Testaccio and is considered a “romantic spot” among couples.
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| Now, MACRO |
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| Mattatoio, 1888-1891 |
Historically, Testaccio was known for its’ distinct cuisine. In 1888 a slaughterhouse and cattle farm, Mattatoio was built in between the Tiber River and Monte Testaccio. Workers of Mattatoio were paid in scraps of the handled meat, such as pig snouts, cow intestines, and hooves. These leftover meats are now part of the unique recipes of Testaccio’s restaurants one of them being pajata, baby veal or lamb intestines with mother’s milk injected inside. Mattatoio was shut down in 1891 and was constructed in to MACRO, which chambers some of Rome’s most idyllic contemporary art.
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| Piazza Testaccio Market |
Throughout my research of rione XX, my favorite exploration was to Piazza Testaccio which homes one of the most unique markets in Rome. During the day locals visit the bustling market where vendors sell fresh produce, meats, fish, pastries and extraordinary foods that are not found in the everyday markets in the states. Paula, a first grade teacher at Iqbal Massih is a resident of Testaccio and informed us of the divide in the social aspect of Testaccio: Rome versus Lazio soccer teams. Many fans and players reside in this rione and disputes break out in the market from time to time adding to the chaos of the scurry. Unfortunately during my and Gina’s tour, the market was in the phase of closing so the class did not receive a full sense of the bustling, chaotic market special to the locals. Current Rione XX Social Life
Currently, Testaccio is notorious for its’ modern, lively nightlife and its’ working class demographic. This dual personality is present in the day and night. At nights, clubs and bars provide entertainment and social engagements for Roman youth and tourists in which all are dressed with chic fashions. Working class, families and singles reside in this rione while tourists and young Romans fill the streets at night for the social activities. The popular bars and clubs are settled on a sloping area of the Monte Testaccio, showing the duality of the antiquity of the historic amphorae and the nightlife of the youth. One of the borders of Testaccio, Via Marmorata, along with Piazza Santa Maria, and Via Galvani are popular social sites frequented by locals wishing to stop by bars, shops, and restaurants. Although Testaccio is not a “tourist trap” as one would describe the city center, many tourists make way to this spot to experience the palpable “realness” of this rione.
My Reflection
My first day in Rome I remember a feeling of excitement and urge to explore and test out all the fresh customs this culture has to offer. This is the same feeling I had when exploring Testaccio; I wanted to visit all the bars and trattorias, window shop in all the boutiques, and attend all the chic nightclubs. I was first attracted to this rione because my best friend, who studied in Rome, told me she visited this area quit often. I wanted to explore this area myself and saw this assignment as a perfect opportunity. However, as I delved into the research and exploration I was enlightened that to find that this rione was much more than just nightclubs and bars. This rione is full of history in that it reveals the economic status of the Romans during antiquity exemplified by the preservation of the destroyed amphorae, the unique cuisine dating back to 1888, and the monumental archeological sites. I was most fascinated by the contrast of antiquity and contemporary within the rione, especially in the architecture and social life. Institutions essential to the daily life and economy of the rione, such as Mattatoio, are now restored to be essential to the social and creative condition of today’s youth. Shara Wasserman said, “contemporary art compiles the past, present, and future” and this is how I view rione XX. It is a collage of the past making waves on the present and soon to be future. I wish I had more time to visit Testaccio along with all the different rione once again. I so much enjoyed being able to see the differences between
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