Rome’s lively and bohemian Trastevere quarter is also one of its oldest neighborhoods – with well over two thousand years’ history, it has seen its share of changes, but is also home to enduring traditions. With its earliest roots as an Etruscan settlement, Trastevere became home to a lively and multi-cultural community during the Roman Imperial Age. In the middle ages, it took on its present-day look as a tangled maze of narrow streets. Home to a poor but proud working-class population until the late-twentieth century, Trastevere today is a heady mix of artists, old Romans, the nouveau riche and of course, tourists.  

The neighborhood is striking for its numerous churches, some dating to early Christian times. Lively religious processions throughout the year involve the devout – and visitors – of all ages in their uniquely Italian celebration of the divine.

The Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua in June includes a solemn procession accompanied by a marching band and festivities lasting all weekend; many other processions take place throughout the year as well – they can literally pop up from around corners and inside churches, and wind through the Trastevere’s warren of vicoli with a peculiar mix of devotion and revelry. It is a powerful example of how the spirit of this ancient community remains unbroken by time and Trastevere’s transformation from proletarian to trendy.