Garbatella Rome – The hood with a truly Roman atmosphere

Built during the 1920s to host the workers of the nearby industrial district Ostiense, Garbatella used to be a social housing neighbourhood. The area was designed according to the English concept of a garden city, so it is made up of beautiful courtyards, each one with its own gardens, squares, stairs, balconies and fountains.

One of my favourite things to do in Garbatella is trying to cross the area without walking along the paved roads, but moving from one courtyard to the next one: they are all connected, like in a maze!

This is also an area where I like to go out, as I know that in Garbatella I can still find some authentic Roman cuisine and great live concerts.

Being close to the third University of Rome, the area is now inhabited by many students.

During the past years, many street artists have come and left a mark on Garbatella’s walls: I love how colorful the neighbourhood is nowadays, and the way street art mingles with both the eclectic villas (whose architectural references range from Borromini to the Futurist movement and Art Deco) and the village-ish atmosphere of the neighbourhood.

Because, despite the radical transformation undertaken during the latest decades, Garbatella is still a community-hood holding on to its authentic atmosphere.