start

Our journey begins in Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, where you will find a constant flow of spritz and gelato indulgers on the steps of one of the city’s oldest fountains. The real treasure is the Basilica itself, founded in the 300’s and snug in the corner amongst pink facades. Your breath is taken away as you step inside; the golden mosaics masterfully crafted by Pietro Cavalinno on the ceiling emit a golden sheer that encompasses the entire church.

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere 

8 min walk (700 m) along Via della Paglia

Leaving the Piazza, we head toward the slopes leading to Gianicolo on Via Garibaldi. This is where the city begins to quiet down, the winding road offering the tranquillity of ivy-draped walls and hidden amongst Rome’s residential elegance. You will pass the Spanish Academy and the Tempietto del Bramante, a small Renaissance structure inside of Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio. But the great beauty of the city itself starts to unfold on your left as you continue to walk higher.

Via Garibaldi

9 min walk (600 m)

While everyone crowds around the Trevi, Fontana dell’Acqua Paola offers a much more peaceful grandeur. Known to locals as ‘Il Fontanone’ (The Big Fountain), this monumental fountain was built in 1612 to celebrate the restoration of the Acqua Traiana aqueduct. The fountain itself was built using white marble stripped from the Temple of Minerva in the Roman Forum. Standing on the cobblestones across from the fountain, you get your first real lookout over Rome’s terracotta rooftops. It is spectacular, but don’t stop yet… the best is yet to come!

Via Garibaldi

9 min walk (600 m) along Passeggiata del Gianicolo

Finally, you reach Piazzale Garibaldi, the highest point of the hill. The spot is rich in history, from once having a spiritual association with Saint Peter, to the site of a bloody battle under Garibaldi himself, and now being a public park in commemoration. In the centre stands the massive bronze equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, gazing out over the capital city of the nation he helped unite. The monument features ‘la lupa’ (the she-wolf), the eternal symbol of the city’s origins, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus. It also boasts Garibaldi’s famous vow of “Roma o Morte” (Rome or Death), a conviction that defined the Risorgimento and the birth of modern Italy in 1861.

Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi