Testaccio may
not be Rome’s prettiest neighborhood, but its rich history
more than makes up for it.
In antiquity, the district was home to the
Emporium port, where the bulk of the Romans’ food supply funneled
into the city.
Olive oil, grains, and other essential
foodstuffs arrived in terracotta vessels called amphorae, and once
emptied were disposed of in an outdoor dumpsite.
The ancient Monte
dei Cocci, or Monte Testaccio hill, composed of around 53 million
broken amphorae, still looms today.
Centuries later, Testaccio
housed Europe’s biggest abattoir, giving rise to rustic, Roman dishes
like trippa alla romana and oxtail stew.
It was in
this neighborhood that the city’s beloved team, AS Roma, had
their first football pitch, and where rowdy locals still gather to
take in a match.
Nowadays, Testaccio is hailed as a bastion of
Roman culinary excellence, home to some of the Capital’s best
eateries.
We’ll take that over charming piazzas and
cobblestoned streets any day.
--Romeing.it
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