Trastevere

Trastevere or Trestevere in local dialect, is rione XIII of Rome, and it lies on the west bank of the Tiber. Its name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, meaning "beyond the Tiber".
In Trastevere young and old people, locals and tourists alike spend their evenings roaming in the narrow cobbled streets lined by medieval houses, eating in a typical Roman restaurant, and drinking in one of the several pubs situated in the area. Thanks to its many typical restaurants, pubs, pizzerias, as well as the little and stylish shops, Trastevere remains one of the most lively and picturesque districts of Rome.
The maze of narrow streets leads to beautiful squares such as Piazza Trilussa, gathering point for the young at night, or Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, which features the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere (Basilica of Our Lady's in Trastevere ) boasting a XIII century mosaic on the upper side of the façade.

History
At the very beginning of Rome’s history, Trastevere belonged to the hostile Etruscans. Rome conquered it to gain control of the river from both banks, but was not interested in building on that side of the river. In fact, the only connection between Trastevere and the rest of the city was a small wooden bridge called the Pons Sublicius. It was only under Augustus that the area began to be considered part of the city.
By the time the Republic was established, the number of sailors and fishermen making a living from the river had increased. Immigrants from the East also settled there, among which there were many Jews and Syrians. This is the reason why temples like the Syrian Sanctuary - located towards the Janiculum and still open to the public – where built in that age.
Under Augustus Rome was divided into 14 regions: modern Trastevere was the XIV and was called Trans Tiberim. However, the area really became part of the city under Aurelian, who made larger protecting walls to include Trastevere and the Vatican hill. With the wealth of the Imperial Age, several important figures decided to build their villae in Trastevere, including Clodia, (Catullus' "friend") and Julius Caesar. Thanks to the area partial isolation and its cosmopolitan environment, the people of Trastevere, known as trasteverini, were a sort of population of their own, famous for their tenacity, pride and honesty. The beauty of the local women boasting dark eyes and hair and regular features also had a wide appeal.

DID YOU KNOW...?

In the Middle Ages Trastevere had narrow, winding, irregular streets: a real maze with a strong contrast between the huge mansions of the rich and the small houses of the poor. The streets had no pavement until the end of the 1400s, when Pope Sixtus IV decided to renovate the area. For the paving project bricks were initially chosen, but these were soon replaced by sampietrini (cobble stones), because they were more suitable for carriages.