Day Trips and Excursions :: THE GHETTO AND TRASTEVERE

THE GHETTO AND TRASTEVERE
Off-the-Beaten-Track in Rome's Ancient Heart

On 25 July 1556, by proclamation of Pope Paul IV, the Jews of Rome – living here since the Sack of Jerusalem in the age of Emperor Titus, were constrained to live inside a high-walled enclosure known as the Ghetto. Today, many Jews still live in this picturesque Roman quarter and the medieval streets retain much of their old character. We begin our walk in Piazza Venezia from which we meander through the labyrinth of twisted streets to the delightful Piazza Mattei to view the splendid Fountain of the Turtles which was commissioned by the Mattei family to decorate their piazza. We continue on to the Portico of Octavia built in honor of Augustus’ sister and wife of his planned successor, Agrippa. In the Middle Ages a great fish market and a church, Sant’Angelo in Peschiera, were built in the ruins of the portico. After viewing the magnificent Synagogue in Babylonian style, we reach the picture-perfect Tiber Island by a footbridge. The Ponte Fabricio, built in 62BC, is the oldest bridge over the Tiber still in use. Since 293 BC, when a temple here was dedicated to Aesculapius, the god of healing and protector against the plague, the island has been associated with the infirm. Crossing the island, we enter Trastevere, one of the most lively old quarters of the city. Here it is still possible to glimpse scenes of everyday life that seem to belong to another age. Walking through the patchwork of narrow, cobbled backstreets, we reach the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, which is probably the first official Christian place of worship to be built in Rome. The current structure dates largely from the 12th century and is remarkable for its mosaics representing the Coronation of the Virgin. We end our tour in the Villa Farnesina, the marvellous suburban villa of 16th century banker Agostino Chigi, celebrated for its frescoes by Raphael, Baldassarre Peruzzi and other Renaissance masters. These works illustrate classical myths and the vault of the main hall, the Sala di Galatea, is adorned with astrological scenes showing the position of the stars at the time of Chigi’s birth.