Testaccio (with nearby Ostiense and Garbatella) is one of those residential areas in Rome that is overlooked by most tourists – those who do come to the district are the ones who are on repeat visits to the city, and are maybe interested in something like a food tour and not much else.

When they do come around these parts, they usually end up forgetting about all that is historic or artistic about the borough, so this post will focus on exactly that, while at the same time reminding you that there are a number of great tour companies (some of them partnering with From Home to Rome!) that can help you explore Testaccio and its neighboring districts at will. With this free walking tour we’re just… scratching the surface!

How to reach Testaccio

Testaccio is walking distance from our very own Annia Faustina accommodation, obviously, but it’s also reachable by:

• tram no. 3 from the Valle Giulia terminal, passing by (among other landmarks) the Basilica at St. John Lateran, the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus;
• line B of the subway system (stop is called “Piramide”);
• a number of regional railway lines, including FL1 (with one terminal at the airport in Fiumicino), FL3 (calling at “Roma Trastevere” or “Roma S. Pietro”, among others) or FL5 (with one terminal at Civitavecchia, the port of Rome);
• a number of city buses, including line no. 23 and 280 (both passing by the Vatican and the center of Trastevere).

Where modernity and history meet

For the sake of ease, this walking tour will begin at the fire station on Via Marmorata 15, right by a bus/tram stop. FYI, this is one of the oldest fire stations in Rome, built in 1929 and housing the Historical Museum of Rome’s Fire Department. The museum can be visited on occasion, but arrangements for booking your visit are mandatory as this is still a working fire station.

Walking south-east on Via Marmorata, you will notice a marble-like modern structure on your left – it’s a post office and one of the masterpieces of architect Adalberto Libera, who was one of the masters of the rationalist style, which came into prominence during the Fascist era. Feel free to take a walk inside the area that is open to the public!

Opposite the post office, a small alley (“Via Caio Cestio”) will take you to the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome, a peculiar place established in 1716 where all foreigners used to be buried when they didn’t belong to the Catholic Church.

The graveyard, which is a private site and is supported by donations alone, is used to this day and has tombs for muslims, protestants, jews, atheists… We recommend a visit not only because it dispels many cliches about cemeteries and is an absolute open air museum but also because…
a) some may want to pay tribute to some of its famous guests, among them Percy Bysshe Shelley or John Keats;
b) visitors may enjoy the cat sanctuary that is hosted on part of the area;
c) one of the district’s main landmarks is here: the Pyramid of Cestius.

An actual pyramid in Rome

Because of its excellent state of conservation, the Pyramid of Cestius is mistaken by some as a modern, bizarre monument. In fact it is an actual ancient Roman artefact, built when Egyptian religion was all the rage in Rome (a heads up – one more famous pyramid used to stand where St. Peter’s Basilica is now located).

As the last standing pyramid in Rome, this one can be visited on the third and fourth weekend of each month, with compulsory booking through CoopCulture (the same agency handling official ticketing for the Colosseum, among others).

And if you’re visiting the Non-Catholic Cemetery on any other day and can’t go in, you can enjoy the stunning view from the outside, by sitting on one of the strategically placed benches inside the cemetery itself.

You will also notice Roman walls unfolding on each side of the pyramid, effectively becoming the graveyard containment on its southern side – those are the Aurelian walls in this part of the city, with huge gaps in them where modern streets like Via Marmorata or Viale Aventino have been built to accommodate car traffic.

Looking at the pyramid from the cemetery, you can’t miss on the left Porta Ostiense, the ancient gate separating the city from the way to the port at Ostia. The gate now is the home to the small Museo della Via Ostiense, housing ancient remains from various eras found in the immediate area. This museum has a free entrance and is open in the mornings (we recommend visiting their website for more up-to-date information).

Finally, we’re going to end the first part of this free walking tour by inviting you to walk outside the cemetery, after your visit there, and go back to where Via Caio Cestio meets Via Marmorata. Take a right and literally circle the pyramid until you’ll be facing it and the Aurelian walls. Some plaques on the walls, to the left of the pyramid, are the reminder that this is the location for the “Battle for Rome” when partisans tried to repel Nazi forces trying to enter the city on September 8, 1943.

This free walking tour of Testaccio continues next month!