Jewish Ghetto, Tiber Island, and Trastevere Walk
Rione Sant’Angelo and Piazza Mattei
Begin the tour in the noble quarter of Rione Sant’Angelo and observe the elegant residences of the Mattei family.
Admire the charming Turtle Fountain in Piazza Mattei and learn about the aristocratic families who shaped this historic neighborhood.
Piazza Campitelli and Via della Tribuna
Walk to Piazza Campitelli and view the seventeenth-century church of Santa Maria in Portico, along with the surrounding aristocratic residences.
Continue through the narrow Medieval streets and observe the remains of an ancient portico incorporated into a later building along Via della Tribuna.
Portico of Octavia and the Jewish Ghetto
Pass through a narrow passageway and arrive at the surviving columns of the main entrance to the Portico of Octavia.
Learn how the area once hosted the Forum Piscium, or fish market, during the Middle Ages.
Discover the history of the Jewish Ghetto, established in 1555 under Pope Paul IV, and understand the difficult conditions faced by the Jewish community within its walls.
Major Synagogue Area
Walk through the area where much of the historic ghetto once stood and see the Major Synagogue, built after Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1870.
Tiber Island
Cross Tiber Island and observe the ancient bridges of Fabricio and Cestio, which connect the island to both sides of the river.
Learn how the decoration of the island gives it the appearance of a ship sailing along the Tiber.
Trastevere and Piazza in Piscinula
Continue into the district of Trastevere and learn about its origins as Trans Tiberim, meaning across the Tiber.
Begin the visit in Piazza in Piscinula and discover the historic properties connected to the Mattei family.
Observe the small Romanesque bell tower of the church of Saint Benedict in Piscinula.
Vicolo dell’Atleta
Walk along Vicolo dell’Atleta and learn about the discovery of the statue of the Apoxyomenos, a famous Roman marble copy of a Greek sculpture now preserved in the Vatican Museums.
Stop to observe a Medieval building believed by tradition to be the oldest site of a synagogue in Rome, and notice the Hebrew inscription carved into one of the columns.
Piazza Santa Cecilia
Continue through the narrow streets of Trastevere and arrive at Piazza Santa Cecilia.
Visit the Basilica of Saint Cecilia, which, according to tradition, was built over the home of the martyr Cecilia and her husband Valerian.
Via della Lungaretta and Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere
Return along Via della Lungaretta, passing Piazza Sidney Sonnino and crossing Viale Trastevere.
Reach the final destination at Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and admire the octagonal fountain designed by Carlo Fontana.
Observe the façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, decorated with a thirteenth-century mosaic representing the Virgin Mary with the Child.
Enter the basilica and discover its impressive interior with ancient Roman columns, Cosmatesque flooring, and a richly decorated wooden ceiling.
