Rome neighborhoods: Garbatella

Garbatella is a zone of Rome that is part of the 11C urban area. The first stone of this zone was laid in the current Piazza Benedetto Brin by King Vittorio Emanuele in 1918.
For a long time, the name of the neighborhood was the subject of discussions, in addition to the current name, the alternatives were Concordia or Remuria, the latter based on the legend that Romulus founded his city right on the hills of San Paolo, where the neighborhood lies. The entire Garbatella zone with its buildings, fountains, arches can be considered a unique and fascinating place.
 

Garbatella’s historic places
Although Garbatella was considered an infamous popular village in the past, today its historical and cultural value has given it back its dignity, and it is above all considered a Neighborhood, the first outside the walls of Rome. In the Garbatella zone you can find several important architectures, among the civil ones there is the Lazio Region building near Via Cristoforo Colombo. On the outskirts of the neighborhood there is the headquarters of Eataly in Rome, a chain of shops specializing in the sale of food products. Among the religious architecture, instead, you will find the “Chiesoletta” of Saints Teodoro and Eurosia, built in 1818. Furthermore, in the Piazza di Sant’Eurosia, besides this fantastic church, you can admire the arch where in the movie “Caro Diario” Nanni Moretti goes through in his tour on a Vespa. One of the most recent and appreciated monuments of Garbatella is the “Fontana Carlotta” in Piazza Ricoldo da Montecroce.
This fountain represents the heart of Garbatella due to a picturesque ladder on its side that called “the ladder of the lovers”. One of the most famous squares in this area is Piazza Benedetto Brin, where the first stone was laid by Vittorio Emanuele III, a plaque placed between two arches recalls the historic event. Entering these arches, you will be immersed in an area of Garbatella, which reminds of an old country village. One of the last but no less important places of archaeological interest in Garbatella is “Parco di Commodilla”, where there are some catacombs dating back to the 4th century.
 

Cultural places of Garbatella
Historic places make the Garbatella a zone with a charming atmosphere, but this neighborhood is not devoid of cultural sites. In front of Piazza Nicola Longobardi, you will find Luigi Luzzati kindergarten, defined by the inhabitants as “la scoletta “, the little school. This is a school of great charm as it is an old villa dating back to the 16th century. La scoletta was present in the theme song of “Caro maestro” in the 90s, and in the film Totò and Marcellino. Another one is the primary school “Cesare Battisti”, which also became famous thanks to the fiction I Cesaroni. Garbatella is the site of the activities of the University of Roma Tre and of the private University “San Pio V”.
 

Services and connections in Garbatella zone
In Garbatella there is the Line B metro station and the ATAC bus stop. The University of Roma Tre and the Palladium Theater where musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances are organized are near the metro station. In the surrounding area, on Via Ostiense, there is also the museum Centrale Montemartini. The neighborhood offers trattorias with typical Roman cuisine, the Garbatella market with typical products, several restaurants and cafes. From the Garbatella zone it is easy to reach San Paolo, Testaccio and Rome center which are about 5 kilometers away. Moreover, by public transport you can reach Termini Station and the Colosseum in 10 minutes, and the Vatican in 25 minutes.