Cobbled lanes, ivy-covered façades, squares that come alive at night: Trastevere is Rome's most authentic neighborhood. Horti 14 sits in its green heart, beside the Botanical Garden. Here's what not to miss.
Founded in the 3rd century and rebuilt in the 12th, it is one of the first churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Inside, Pietro Cavallini's apse mosaics tell the story of her life; outside, the fountain in the middle of the square is where the neighborhood meets at any hour. About 14 minutes' walk from Horti 14.
The Ponte Sisto fountain, at the foot of the steps, faces the bridge built in the late 15th century for Pope Sixtus IV. The square is named after Trilussa, the poet who wrote in Roman dialect, and has a monument to him. At sunset the steps fill with young people and street musicians; cross the bridge and you are in Campo de' Fiori. About 11 minutes' walk from the hotel.
Run by Sapienza University of Rome, it covers about 30 acres (12 hectares) on the slopes of the Janiculum, in the former park of Palazzo Corsini. With historic greenhouses, a Japanese garden, a bamboo grove and the Staircase of the Eleven Fountains, it is an oasis of calm just steps from the lanes. The entrance is in Largo Cristina di Svezia, about 14 minutes' walk from Horti 14.
From Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi the view sweeps across domes and bell towers, from St. Peter's to the Vittoriano. Every day at noon a cannon below the terrace fires a blank shot, a tradition dating back to 1847, when it set the time for the city's church bells. Along the promenade you will find the busts of Garibaldi's volunteers and the lighthouse donated by Italians in Argentina. About 24 minutes' walk, uphill.
Built in the early 16th century by Baldassarre Peruzzi for the Sienese banker Agostino Chigi, it holds frescoes by Raphael and his workshop: the Triumph of Galatea and the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche. Today it belongs to the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. It is on Via della Lungara, about 7 minutes' walk away.
It stands where, according to tradition, the house of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music, once stood. Beneath the altar, Stefano Maderno's statue (1600) shows her as she was found in 1599; the nuns' choir preserves Pietro Cavallini's Last Judgment, one of the great frescoes of medieval Rome. It is in the quietest part of the neighborhood, about 20 minutes' walk away.
Rome's only island in the Tiber has been linked to healing since antiquity: the temple of Aesculapius stood here, and today it is home to the Fatebenefratelli hospital. Ponte Cestio connects it to Trastevere and Ponte Fabricio, the oldest Roman bridge still in use, to the Jewish Ghetto. In summer its riverbanks host an open-air film festival. About 20 minutes' walk.
Every Sunday from early morning until lunchtime, stalls stretch from Porta Portese along Via Portuense and the nearby streets: vintage clothes, antiques, records and every kind of bric-a-brac. Arrive early and keep an eye on bags and wallets. About 25 minutes on foot, or take tram 8.
We're at Via di San Francesco di Sales 14, between the Botanical Garden and the Tiber. From here you can walk to:
Yes: the historic center and the Vatican are within walking distance, there are restaurants and bars for every taste, and it still feels like a real neighborhood. The area near the Botanical Garden and Via della Lungara, where Horti 14 is, is quieter than the nightlife streets.
From Horti 14, Campo de' Fiori is about a 15-minute walk across Ponte Sisto, Piazza Navona about 18, St. Peter's about 21 and the Pantheon about 25. The Colosseum is about 15 minutes by taxi, or by tram and bus.
The streets around Piazza Trilussa and Santa Maria in Trastevere are lively until late, especially on weekends. Horti 14 is in the green part of the neighborhood, next to the Botanical Garden, and the rooms open onto the inner garden.
A stroll through the lit-up lanes, dinner in a trattoria, a cocktail in a speakeasy or outdoors in Piazza Trilussa. To start the evening, a sunset aperitif at our Rooftop Bar, overlooking the Botanical Garden.
In July, in honor of the Madonna del Carmine: the statue of the Virgin is carried in procession through the neighborhood, and for several days the streets fill with stalls, music and outdoor dinners.
On foot: the neighborhood is easy to explore and many of its streets have limited traffic. Tram 8 links Viale Trastevere with Largo di Torre Argentina and Piazza Venezia, and the historic center is a few minutes away across Ponte Sisto.
The Trastevere ZTL (limited traffic zone) is monitored by electronic gates: driving in without a permit while they are active means a fine. Write to us before you arrive to find out where to park. Alternatively, leave the car in a garage outside the ZTL and reach us on foot or by taxi.
Roma Trastevere station is served by regional trains, including the direct train from Fiumicino. Tram 8 leaves right in front of the station and reaches the Belli stop in a few minutes; from there it is about a 17-minute walk. From Termini, instead of bus 40, you can take bus H to Viale Trastevere, or a taxi (about 15–20 minutes).
From Fiumicino the FL1 regional train reaches Roma Trastevere station in about 30 minutes, with frequent departures (not the Leonardo Express, which only goes to Termini). By taxi the journey takes about 40 minutes, depending on traffic. From Ciampino there are shuttle buses to Termini, or a bus to Ciampino station and then the train; by taxi about 40 minutes.
4-star boutique hotel · Trastevere, Rome
Horti 14 is a 4-star boutique hotel in the green heart of Trastevere: 30 rooms overlooking the garden, a 700 m² (7,500 sq ft) rooftop above the Botanical Garden and the whole neighborhood to explore on foot.
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