Essential guide to Rioni of Rome, the twenty two historical neighborhoods of Rome. What they are, where thee are, what to see in each.
Rone’s Rioni are the twenty-two historical neighborhoods of Rome.
The word rione / rioni (singular/plural) comes from the Latin words regiones, regions, and seems to have ancient origins.
Historical sources tell us that Rome was organized in administrative regions since the VI century BC and grew to fourteen administrative districts under Emperor Augustus, in the I century AD.
Under his rule, the different areas of the city were organized with local authorities who would look after anything that had to do with the district, including collecting tax
In the Middle Ages, the number of regions first shrunk to twelve, then grew again to fourteen under Pope Sixtus V, in the Sixteenth century.
The organization of Rioni as we know them now took hold when Rome became capital of Italy in 1871.
Then, the number of Rioni grew to twenty-one; then, in 1921, a twenty second rione was added: Prati.
Do you need to know the names of the Rioni of Rome?
Named each with a name and a roman numeral between I and XXII, Rioni are often mentioned on maps and hotel descriptions.
However, their names are not part of official addresses (this makes Rome very different from Venice, for instance, where the names of the sestrieri is integral to modern addresses.
Knowing the names of Rome’s rioni, locations and most significant sights it each, is more about curiosity and city knowledge than practicality.
However, it can come in handy when evaluating locations of, for instance, hotels, who often like to give this extra piece of info.
I personally loved learning the names and locations of Rome’ rione and I hope you enjoy this list!
List of Rioni of Rome with names and numbers
Rione I Monti
Rome’s Rione Monti is a one of the most central and charming neighborhood of Rome.
It develops over part of the Esquiline Hill, one of the historical seven hills of Rome and in what used to be the ancient Suburra, the area of Ancient Rome bordering with the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.
Rione Monti is a lovely area with cobbled streets, some of the most beautiful churches in Rome, vintage shops and more cafes and restaurants you can visit in a lifetime!
This is an urban city area with tons if charm and a fantastic place to visit or stay in while in Rome.
Things to see in Monti include:
- The church of Santa Prassede, famous for stunning ancient mosaics
- The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s four major Papal Basilica
- The arch of Gallieno, one of the Triumphal arches of Rome
- The church St Peter in chains and Michelangelo’s Moses
- The Domus Aurea, Nero’s ancient Palace
- Charming Via dei Seprenti, Piazza degli Zingari, Via Panisperna, Via Urbana
Find here >>> our guide to the Monti District
Rione II Trevi
Rione II Trevi shares its name with its most important attraction: the Trevi Fountain!
This Rome neighborhood develops between the pen dices of the Quirinal Hill and Via del Corso and is a favourite of tourists because of its central position and elegant feel.
The Trevi district is pretty and charming but very busy, especially during the day.
Things not to be missed here are:
- The Trevi Fountain
- Piazza Barberini, with two fountains by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Palazzo Barberini (National Gallery of Ancient Art)
- Palazzo del Quirinale (residence of the President of the Republic)
- Scuderie del Quirinale (fantastic exhibition space with high profile art shows)
Find here >>> our guide to Rione Trevi
Rione III Colonna
Rome’s Rione Colonna takes his name from the ancient columns of Marcus Aurelio, still towering over this area.
This neighbrhood houses some of Rome’s most important institutions and has an elegant, yet busy feel. Things not to miss here are:
- Piazza Colonna, with the above mentioned Columns of Marcus Aurelius
- Palazzo Chigi and Montecitorio, Government Buildings
- Galleria Alberto Sordi, shopping arcade
- Via del Corso, historic street with significant palazzos and, now, many shops
Rione IV Campo Marzio
Rione Campo Marzio is a large Rome’s neighborhood embracing some of the most elegant and central neighborhoods of Rome.
This district embraces the fabulous Spanish steps, stretches along the so-called Trident, the three most important streets in central Rome, PIazza del Popolo, a large Part of Via del corso all the way to, almost, Piazza Navona.
The most important sights in Campo Marzio are:
- Trinita’ de’ Monti and the Spanish Steps, including Piazza di Spagna
- The Pincio Terrace, on of the best viewing terraces in Rome
- Piazza del Popolo
- The Trident (Via del Corso, Via del Babuino and art filled Via Margutta)
- The Mausoleum of Augustus
- The Ara Pacis, stunning ancient altar and museum
- Some of the most elegant shopping streets in Rome such as Via Condotti, Via della Croce and Via Borgognona.
The coat of arms of the rione is a silver half-moon on a blue background.
Find here >>> my guide to Piazza di Spagna and its neighborhood
Rione V Ponte
Rome’s Rione V Ponte develops at the bend of the River Tiber and takes his name from stunning Ponte Sant’Angelo, famously decorated with statues by Bernini.
The area is elegant and sough after: from the river bank, you catch wonderful views of Sant’Angelo Castle and the Vatican and its many cobbles streets are a strong draw for locals and visitors alike.
Things to see in Rione Ponte include:
- Palazzo Altemps, stunning museum of ancient art
- The church of Santa Maria della Pace, with frescoes by Raphael, Peruzzi, and Orazio Gentileschi
- Via dei Coronari, famous for its ancient shops
- Via Giulia, designed by Bramante and one of the most beautiful in Rome
The district’s coat of arms is a bridge on red background.
Rione VI Parione (Navona)
Rome’s Rione VI Parione is the area around Rome’s most famous Piazza: Piazza Navona.
This rione is exceptionally popular with locals and visitors alike for sightseeing and dinners out and it is one of the must see in Rome.
The area mixed elegant, grand piazzas with hidden corners and charming yards and has anything from pretty artisan shops to expensive restaurants.
Things not to miss in Rione Parione are:
- Piazza Navona
- Piazza Pasquino
- Via del Governo Vecchio
- Palazzo Braschi
- Campo de’ Fiori
More in general, this is a spelling neighborhood for a walk and a place with discovering for overall feel and atmosphere.
A peculiarity of this neighborhood are names of its streets. Many retained the name of the ancient trades they used to house: Via dei Balestrari, Via dei Chiavari, Largo del Pallaro, Via dei Giubbonari, and Via dei Cappellari.
You can find here >>> our guide to Rome’s Navona District
Rione VII Regola
Rome’s Rione Regola is marked with Roman numeral VII and it is neighborood of great interest and charm.
Located close to the Tiber River, just in front of Trastevere, this neighborhood has some of Rome’s most atmospheric streets, lovely shops, eateries and hidden passages that make it one of the city’s most characteristic spots.
Things to see in Rione Regola are:
- Piazza Farnese, elegant piazza with the Farnese Palace, now the Embassy of France
- Via del Pellegrino, pretty cobbled street, typical of this part of Rome
- Arco degli Acetari and Passaggio del Biscione, two charming Rome hidden gems
- Galleria Spada, famous for Borromini’s false perspective as well as a priceless collection of paintings
Rione VIII Sant’Eustachio
Rione Sant’Eustachio is a small Rome district between two mighty neighbors: Rione Parione (with Piazza Navona) and Rione Pigna (with the Pantheon)
This pretty Rione takes its name from the church of Sant’Eustachio and the lovely piazza it overlooks, famous among other things for housing the best espresso in Rome!
Mai attractions in this area include:
- The church of St Luis of the French, one of the best places to see Caravaggio in Rome
- Palazzo Madama, Italy’s Senate
- St Ivo alla Sapienza, stunning church by Borromini
- Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, famous for a false dome (optical illusion)
- The fountain of the books, one of Rome’s ‘fontanelle rionali’, decorated with carved books, one of the symbols of the area
The coat of arms of the district is the head of a deer surmounted by a golden bust of Jesus, or a cross, on a red background.
Rione IX Pigna (Pantheon)
Rione IX Pigna is one of the most visited neighbrohoods in the whole of Rome, thanks to the presence of the famous Rome Pantheon.
The pantheon and its piazza are among the most iconic and beautiful corners of Rome and the streets around them are just as beautiful.
In this area, you find Rome’s famous cobbles streets, some fantastic churches and very many restaurants and terraces for all your food needs.
Things to see in Rione Pigna are:
- The Pantheon and Piazza della Rotonda
- Piazza della Minerva with the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
- Doria Pamhili Gallery
- Chiesa del Gesù (jesus’ church)
You can read here >>> our complete guide to the Pantheon district
Rione X Campitelli
Rione Campitelli is the most visited of all Rome’s neighborhoods and one of the most beautiful and unique.
This is the Rione where you find the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and also the one with the Capitoline Hill, redesigned by Michelangelo and now one of the most spending examples of Renaissance splendor in Rome as well as one of Rome’s best piazzas.
The best things to see in Rione Campitelli include:
- Parco Colosseum, the area with the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum
- Piazza del Campidoglio
- Piazza Venezia and il Vittoriano
The rione coat of arms is a black dragon’s head on a white background.
Rione XI Sant’Angelo (ghetto)
rione Sant’Angelo is best known to Romans as Il Ghetto, since large part of this neighborhood overlaps with Rome’s old Jewish quarter.
This Rione is close to the Tiber, very centra, and it is beautiful and historically significant.
Some of the most beautiful things to see in Rome’s Rione Sant’Angelo are:
- Portico d’Ottavia
- Tempio Maggiore (Rome’s Synagogue)
- Piazza Mattei with its pretty Turtles’ Fountain
- Piazza delle Cinque Scole
- Piazza Morgana
Rione XII Ripa
Rione XII Ripa is unique among the Rioni of Rome as in includes Rome’s only islands: Isola Tiberina.
Developing along and over the River Tiber, this Rome neighborhood occupies the area between the Palatine and the Aventine and has stunning roman runs of great value and aesthetic splendor as well as one of the most sough after residential areas in Rome: the Aventine Hill.
Things to to miss here are:
- Circus Maximus
- Tiber Island
- Santa Maria in Cosmedin and the Mouth of Truth
- Aventine Hill (including Rome’s Rose Garden, Rome’s secret keyhole and Garden of Oranges)
The rione’s coat of arms is a white wheel on a red background
Rione XIII Trastevere
Rione Trastevere is one of the few Rioni of Rome on the other side of the river Tiber, from which it takes its name (Trastevere = Trans Tiberim = beyond the Tiber).
Trastevere is a large area with great charm.The nieghborhood mixes residential streets with beautiful piazzas with cafes and eateries and it is home to many traditional workshops and churches.
For a long time, Trastevre was considered a hidden gem however, tourism has well and truly discovered it and parts of the area get excessively busy, especially in the evening.
That said, Trastevere stays a wonderful area with authentic Roman charm.
You can find here >>> our complete travel guide to Trastevere
Rione XIV Borgo
Borgo is the Rome’s rione between the Tiber and the Vatican and where you find one of Rome’s most significant sights: Castel Sant’Angelo.
The castle was born as the resting place of Emperor Hadrian but, over time, became Papal property and turned into a fortress and residence for the Popes.
This connection between ancient and Papal Rome is typical of Borgo, unique among the Rioni of Rome for the proximity with the Vatican, which dominates the atmosphere of this area.
Things to see in Borgo include:
- Castel Sant’Angelo
- The outer colonnade by Bernini in PIazza San Pietro
- Il Passetto di Borgo
- Several pretty fontains
You can find here >>> our neighborhood guide to Rione Borgo.
Rione XV Esquilino
Esquilino is one of the biggest rioni of Rome and takes its name from the Esquiline Hill, one of the historical seven hills of Rome.
Esquilino develops around the main train station of Rome, termini, and is now a multicultural areas with a mix of historical sights and bustling international markets.
Things to see in Esquilino include:
- Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
- Piazza Vittorio
- Ambra Jovinelli theater
- Via Merulana
Find here >>> our complete guide to Rome’s Esquiline Hill
Rione XVI Ludovisi
Rione Ludovisi is a wealthy, beautiful residential area between Rome city center and the Borghese Gardens.
This area is most famous for elegant Via Veneto, which featured heavily in the iconic Dolce Vita movie by Federico Fellini.
This area is now mostly occupied by elegant hotels and embassies. Its lowest part borders with the Trevi district: at the intersection between the two, you find Piazza Barberini, home to two of the most beautiful fountains in Rome by Bernini: the fountain of the Triton and the Fountain of the bees.
The rione coat of arms is formed by three oblique gold bands above a golden dragon, on a red background.
Rione XVII Sallustiano
Rione Sallustiano is a beautiful neighorhood in central Rome, close to the Quirinale Palace on one side and Via Veneto on the other.
The district mixes residential streets with official buildings and is home to the stunning Cornero Chapel, a side chapel in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria with the famous statue Ecstasy of St Therese by Bernini, una of the most famous statues in Rome.
The Rione coat of arms features the gold mirror of the Venus Erycina on a blue background.
Rione XVIII Castro Pretorio
Castro Pretorio takes its name from the ancient Pretorian barracks from imperial times, which used to be stationed here.
Nowadays, the area is busy and trafficked; however, it also houses some of Rome’s most impressive piazzas and ruins: Piazza della Repubblica and the Baths of Diocletian.
Things not to be missed in this Rome district are:
- Baths of Diocletian
- Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri by Michelangelo
- Via Nazionale
- Museo Nazionale Romano
Rione XIX Celio
Celio is one of the most beautiful and fascinaing Rioni of Rome, a place of hidden corners, unexpected churches and surprising views.
Celio takes its name from the Caelian Hill on which it develops and is immediately above the Colosseum. This is a lovely area to call home while in Rome or a great place for a stroll.
Things to see in Celio include:
- Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati
- Basilica di San Clemente
- Ancient Roman Domus at Celio
- Santo Stefano Rotondo
- Arch of Dolabella and Silanus
You can read here >>> our complete guide to Rome Caelian Hill
Rione XX Testaccio
Testaccio is a charming rione of Rome famous for its authentic atmosphere and for being a bit of a foodie paradise!
The area is pretty and has a down to earth feel that make many consider it ‘the real Rome’. Testaccio is indeed pretty and has a lot to offer to its visitors.
As well as the food, things not to miss here are:
- Rome’s Pyramid
- Rome’s protestant cemetery
- Monte de’ Cocci
Rione XXI San Saba
Rione San Saba is immediately outside Rome city center and it is the one of rioni of Rome with the most rural feel, thanks to large green areas and large streets.
The rione is mostly famous for the presence of the breathtaking baths of Caracalla, among the most impressive ancient Roman ruins in Rome.
You can read here >>> our guide to visiting the Baths of Caracalla
Rione XXII Prati
Prati is the latest Rome neighborhood to have been inlcuded in the list of Rioni of Rome and only entered it in 1921.
Prati is a large, beautful residential area on the same side of the river as the Vatican and includes many elegant streets and piazzas, some residential and some devoted to shopping.
This is a great area to admire art nouveau buildings in Rome.
Things to see in Prati include Il Palazzaccio (Italy’s highest court), Via Cola di Rienzo (shopping street) and Piazza Cavour.
Find here >>> our essential guide to Prati district, Rome
I hope you enjoyed this quick overview e Rome’s Rioni and help you learn something new about the city. safe travels to Rome!
Rome’s Rioni Name list and Travel Guide – Pin this!
