Walk 6 - Short self-guided walk into Trastevere

Self-guided walk for independently minded visitors

Stunning: views over City of Rome from start point of walk

On this page

• Trastevere walk route overview

• Start Trastevere walk: Lighthouse of Manfredi

• Via Aldo Frabrizi

Trastevere walk route overview

This walk is especially good in the evening to round off a great days sightseeing. Perhaps descend into Trastevere, famous for its restaurants or do it the other way to walk off the meal (although it's a long uphill climb!).

 

The aim of this page is to focus on the logistical aspects and give sufficient information in the form of text, images and a basic map so that you can get a good idea of what to expect. A good guide book is a useful to explain the various attractions you pass along the way. The walk is very simple, you can't really get lost.

The length of this walk is about 2km or just over a mile. On the walk you're either walking along the flat or downhill. If you walked it without stopping at a brisk pace it would be only around 15 minutes.

 

However, there is so much of interest on the way including panoramic views over Rome, you are likely to take far longer.

This walk is one of 8 interconnected walk in the centre of Rome covering all of the main sights.

Walk 1 - A circuit of Villa Borghese

Walk 2 - Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain

Walk 3 - Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon

Walk 4 - The Pantheon to Trastevere via Piazza Navona

Walk 5 - The Pantheon to Vatican City via Piazza Navona

Walk 6 - A walk above and around Trastevere

Walk 7 - Trastevere to Capitoline Hill & Museum

Walk 8 - The Pantheon to Colosseum via Roman Forum & Capitoline Hill

Walk 9 - The Appian Way (outside Rome City Centre)

Landmark: Lighthouse of Manfredi

 

Get to start: Lighthouse of Manfredi

The Lighthouse of Manfredi stands high up above Trastevere looking down upon the city of Rome below, a great place to start the walk. Once you have been here, you might find yourself looking up when in the city of Rome to the Lighthouse, a landmark that becomes an old friend on the hill on the west side of Rome.

There are two bus services that will get you up to the Lighthouse avoiding the long walk uphill.

 

My personal preference is the 870 bus. The 870 bus starts at a small bus station called Paola of only 4 bus bays on the Corso Emanuele, the main road used by buses between the centre (Piazza Venezzia) and the Vatican. Buses 40,46, 62 and 64 are all very frequent. You find it on the left just short of Ponte Vittorio across the River Tiber.

 

Or you can walk to it in 5 minutes from Castel San Angelo coming from the other direction.

The alternative bus is the 115 bus that follows a circular route around Trastevere. The bus turns around very close to the 870 terminus, crossing the Ponte Vittorio and then following the route of the 870. (The reason for the 870 preference is merely that you should get a seat boarding at the terminus.)

 

The bus soon starts climbing the hill. After passing the hospital on your right the bus negotiates a double hairpin bend and then you are there, the lighthouse is hardly something you can miss! A journey of only 5 minutes.

National heroes: Italian patriots

 

Garibaldi monument

After admiring the views, your path follows the edge of the hill, very straight forward and obvious with views across Rome all of the way.

 

Soon over on your right, on the other side of the road you will see a monument, this is the Monument to Anita Garibaldi, the Brazilian wife of Garibaldi who lies buried beneath the statue. The main monument to Garibaldi himself, an Italian national hero, a military general who was a major figure in bringing Italy together in the mid 19th century is a little further along the route.

The path briefly detours slightly from the edge of the hill to skirt around Villa Lante.

 

You now pass through a small park criss-crossed with paths lined with busts of other heroes who fought with Garibaldi.

 

National hero: Garibaldi Monument

You then come to the main memorial along here to Garibaldi himself riding his horse, with an inscription that translates to “Rome or Death”.

The path begins a very shallow descent at this point as we follow our path with the botanical gardens far below. The roads on our right become a little more complicated but just keep to the left continuing with fine views.

 

Eventually following the road you come to the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola on your right, a very large and impressive fountain/monument, perhaps not as memorable as the Trevi Fountain though. The monument commemorates the reopening of an ancient aqueduct in 1612.

 

You now have the option of a short cut that bypasses a visit to San Pietro in Monterio and the Tempietto. Retrace your steps about 100m and you will see a long flight of steps leading down to a road below. This route cuts out about 5 minutes' walking.

Continuing the main walk from the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola following the road on the left hand side for about 150m until you reach San Pietro in Montorio on your left. The church is sited on the spot that St Peter is presumed to have been crucified.

 

The road bends right here away from our route. After visiting the church walk down the right hand side of the church and on your left you will see a gate through which you will get the view depicted on this page. This is the Tempietto the round monument commemorating the site of the martyr. It has limited opening hours.

 

You continue down the path, perhaps doubting where this is taking you. But persevere and you will soon be descending steps with fine views again, rejoining the road below. You are now starting the meat of the descent down into Trastevere.

 

Limited opening hours: Tempietto

The next 100m is the most tedious part of the whole walk. Turn left and take great care, it is quite a busy road with no pavement. When you come to a junction on your right hand side there is a fountain/spring a few yards down on your left by a junction to another road going up left. If you took the short cut this is where you will rejoin the main walk.

There is a good chance you will find cyclists or taxi drivers around the spring refilling their water bottles.

 

Almost opposite the spring and a few metres downhill from the main junction you will see steps descending. This is our route for the final part of the walk.

 

The steps descend into the maze of streets of Trastevere, a delight to walk through. Just keep going straight along the lane at the bottom of the steps and all too soon you will come out into the main restaurant area of Trastevere and the Basiica di Santa Maria.

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