Prati, one of the most luxurious neighborhoods in Rome

Roma it is a small city that can be explored on foot. A walk through its many neighborhoods is highly recommended on a sunny day, so on this tour you cannot miss the charming and charming neighborhood Meadows.

Prati is a destination known for its avenues, its elegant buildings and its european charm. It has a lot of personality, it almost looks like Paris, so let's see today what we can do around here.

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Is Twenty-second quarter of Rome and its coat of arms includes the Mausoleum of Hadrian, one of its most emblematic sites (even though it actually belongs to Borgo). But what is the history of this charming Roman neighborhood?

It seems like in times of the Roman Empire these lands were occupied by vineyards and shrubsThus, it was called Horti Domitii, and it belonged to Domitian's wife. Later it changed its name, to Prata Neronis, and during the Middle Ages it was called Prata Sancti Petri or the fields of San Pedro.

The area remained green until almost the end of the XNUMXth century, among bushes, swamps and grazing lands since there were still some farms there, especially on the slopes of Monte Mario. But in 1873. the then owner of a large part of the land, Xavier de Mérode, signed a contract with the municipality to start shape a new district. It took ten years until the first buildings saw the light.

However, the neighborhood remained marginal for a long time as there was no good infrastructure and it seemed to be isolated. In fact, Mèrode himself paid out of his pocket for the works of an iron bridge to open communication routes. It was only at the beginning of the XNUMXth century that the city began to work towards solving the urban problems of the district. How ? Basically here the administrative offices of the new Kingdom of Italy were built.

The layout of the streets was made with a particularity: rods from none of them the Basilica of San Pedro could be seen. At that time, relations between the Vatican and the new government were not the best, so not a street or a square around here has the name of popes or saints.

The new works included land fillings, so as not to suffer the flooding of the Tiber River, but it was not easy either due to the very wet consistency of the land. But, anyway, new buildings began to emerge like mushrooms, all during the first half of the XNUMXth century and the same symmetrical streets.

The main streets of Prati are the Via Cola di Rienzo, Via Cicerone, Marcantonio Colonna and the Lepanto. All these streets are the heart of Prati. To the north the neighborhood borders Della Vittoria, to the east with the Flaminio neighborhood, to the south with Ponte and to the west with Trioinfale.

What to visit in Prati

As you walk through streets and squares named after personalities of the Roman Empire you are going to see some lovely buildings like the Courthouse and the beautiful Adriano Theater. This theater was inaugurated in 1898, today it works as a cinema and is in La Piazza Cavour.

For its part, the Palace of Justice was built between 1888 and 1910 and is considered a grandiose building, one of the most important after the declaration of Rome as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Due to the nature of the terrain, with so much humidity, it had to be endowed with strong massive concrete foundations that lasted until the 70s of the XNUMXth century when it had to be reinforced again. It is baroque and renaissance styleIt is 170 meters by 155 meters and is all travertine limestone.

meadows it's a quiet neighborhood, a good alternative if you don't want hustle and bustle. It is well connected to the rest of the city, but it is still residential and calm. Even it is a very safe neighborhood, since although it was not born with the blessing of the Vatican, the residence of the Pope is very close.

So the best thing one can do in Prati is walk, get lost in its streets. You can start from the Vatican itself, visit St. Peter's Basilica or the Vatican Museums and then start walking. Thus, you will also run into the Church of the Sacred Heart of Suffrage, also known as the Milan Cathedral in miniature because it has a beautiful neo-Gothic façade.

Inside here works the Museum of the Souls of Purgatory, a bit dark, with photos of the dead ... The church was built in 1917. Inside there is also a beautiful organ.

El Olympic Stadium It is also in Prati. It was inaugurated in 1953 although its history dates back to the 20s as there was a small fascist stadium in that place. Here the opening and closing ceremony of the 1960 Summer Olympics was held and it was totally renovated for the 1990 Fifa Cup and again, in 2008.

The best shopping street in Prati is Via Cola Di Riezo. You will see strings of clothing stores, small boutiques and restaurants. They have better prices than in the historic center, so it is a good alternative to save money. Their habitants? Clerks, clerks, people with good salaries because It is one of the best economic neighborhoods in Rome. Be careful, do not think that it is a super popular neighborhood with a lot of movement, no, in fact it is a neighborhood outside the tourist circuit and sometimes not even the Romans come here.

Yes, yes, it is very close to St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican, but tourists don't usually visit it often. And those who arrive simply stroll along Via Cola di Renzo, which concentrates the shops. But if you want more, you have to move a little further. For example, bequeath Viale Giulio Cesare areaa multi ethnic zone where people from all over the world live together.

Obviously, there are many Arabs and Indians here, with their corresponding commercial stores. And if you plan to travel through Italy there is a good bookstore, Touring Club, which has everything for travelers between guides and maps. The Dea Roma statue welcomes us in the  Risorgimento Bridge. It was made by the Polish sculptor Igor Motoraj and he has a super sad and romantic face.

Also walking you will see many Umbertino style buildings, a typical late XNUMXth century Italian style and many Art-Nouveau style villas. There's also rationalist style buildings, from the Mussolini period, and some of rococo style. Obviously there are also some more modern buildings, such as the RAI building, all made of glass and mirrors, or the former municipality, a 1973 brutalist-style building that today has very colorful windows. The one with photographs that you are going to take!

Another of the sectors of Prati is Delle Vittorie, a district planned in 1919 which is mostly located in the around Piazza Mazzini and characterized by houses built in the fascist period, with typical open courtyards. Of all these buildings that we have named so far, do not miss the details that are really beautiful in doors, windows and balconies.

If you like to ride a bike in Prati there are some bike paths ranging from Viale Angelico to Castel Giubileo, a more suburban area north of Rome. It is a beautiful walk that runs alongside the river and gets lost in open fields or what would be the countryside of Rome. Another bike path begins at the same point but goes not far, to Piazza Cavour.

Are there green spaces in Prati? Well, there are no parks proper that recall its open past and vineyards. There is the river bank, the bike path by his side, which is where people usually walk or run and not much else. Maybe some hidden bar near the shore or in a boat.

Prati may not be the most popular neighborhood in Rome but let me tell you that if you go in august it is the best time of all. Actually, any time between July 1 and September 7 is a good time, because the weather is ideal, there are people in the streets strolling, you can visit the Museum of Castel San't Angelo on a summer night, walk through the footbridge in height of Borgo Passetto, where the Pope took refuge from the Vatican to the castle, and admire the dome of St. Peter's Basilica on the way. Precious.

To do this walk you have to pay but with the same ticket you can visit the fortress and its beautiful halls and patios or go up to the terrace and enjoy its wonderful panoramic views.


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