The 10 Best Things To See And Do In Garbatella, Rome

Rome, with its ancient origin and modern city life, is a place of contrasts and juxtapositions; you take a trip to the Centrale Montemartini to see the opposing forces displayed in their extremes. As vast reconstruction works began on the existing Musei Capitolini, hundreds of ancient statues were moved to an old power plant on the west bank of the Tiber. To keep the sculptures accessible to the public throughout, an exhibition was created, The Machines and the Gods, a temporary display that has remained. Displaying ancient art in industrial surroundings, Centrale Montemartini is a signpost of the edgy, innovative thinking that is currently lifting Garbatella and its surrounding district out of obscurity.

Ostiense 106, Rome, Italy, +39 06 574 8042

Described as an independent entity in a neighborhood independent from Rome, the Ambra alla Garbatella is a theater and performance space hosting a wide variety of events. Here there is theater, cinema, music, as well as art exhibitions and innovative fusions of mediums. Inside the building is also a reading room, and the theater’s resident restaurant, L’Ambretta, providing dinner, as well as drinks. With a program ranging from comedy to tragedy, and containing every human emotion in between, the Ambra alla Garbatella offers an opportunity to continue your odyssey through culture.

Teatro a Piazza Giovanni da Triora 15, Rome, Italy, +39 06 8117 3900

Offering an architecturally curious contrast to the historic districts of Rome is the Ponte Settimia Spezzichino, also known as the Ostiense Overpass. An arched bridge of white steel was built as a tribute to Settimia Spezzichino, the only Roman Jew to survive her deportation to Auschwitz. She led cars, cyclists and pedestrians alike into the district that was her home until her death in 2000. The DNA-like construction somehow works with its surrounding, and makes one of the more modern, sleek impressions on your way towards Garbatella.

Ponte Settimia Spezzichino, Italy, Rome

In the heart of Garbatella, in the Piazza Bartolomeo Romano, lies a Roman institution, the Teatro Palladium. Built in the 1920s, and beautifully furnished, the old-school cinema provides a captivating mix of commercially successful film, and edgy new innovations in the world of art. The theater, owned and operated by the Roma Tre University, is one of the venues for the RomaEuropa festival, an annual celebration of performance arts, contemporary dance, music, theater and film. Surrounded by plenty of restaurants and bars, the Palladium is a perfect choice for an evening spent in the Garbatella district.

Piazza B. Romano 8, Rome, Italy, +39 57 06 7768

While perhaps a rundown and dreary place of working class dwellings in the 60s and 70s, the Garbatella and its surrounding district of Ostiense has experienced a second coming as a cultural hotspot. The Ostiense District is a project that aims to promote the area as a space for contemporary art, and this is especially evident in the way that random assortments of graffiti are being swapped out for large, colorful murals, covering walls throughout the district. Keep your eyes peeled when you’re out and about, for you might just stumble upon a piece of art, some wonderful colors and shapes crawling through the cityscape.

Built in the communal spirit, Garbatella is made out of small, numbered, low-rise buildings, that surround even smaller communal gardens. The architectural features of the district give a distinct feeling of a village trapped within the city, and taking a walk through Garbatella is truly the best and the simplest way to experience it. Make your way through Piazza Sapeto, the Piazza Benedetto Brin, see the towering Albergo Rosso building, and find your way through the strict construction of the building blocks to find quiet places, gardens and fountains that run through the community.