San Giovanni & Testaccio

Encompassing two of Rome's seven hills, this sweeping, multifaceted area offers everything from dramatic basilicas and medieval churches to ancient ruins, colourful markets and popular clubs. Its best-known drawcards are the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano and Terme di Caracalla, but there are heavenly views to be had on the Aventino and Villa Celimontana is a lovely, tranquil park. Down by the river, Testaccio is a trendy district known for its nose-to-tail Roman cuisine and weekend clubbing.

Explore San Giovanni & Testaccio

Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
For a thousand years this monumental cathedral was the most important church in Christendom. Commissioned by the emperor Constantine and consecrated in AD…
Terme di Caracalla
The remains of the emperor Caracalla’s vast baths complex are among Rome’s most awe-inspiring ruins. Inaugurated in AD 212, the original 10-hectare site,…
Basilica di San Clemente
Nowhere better illustrates the various stages of Rome's turbulent past than this fascinating multilayered church. The ground-level 12th-century basilica…
C
Cimitero Acattolico per gli Stranieri
Despite the roads that surround it, Rome’s 'non-Catholic' cemetery is a verdant oasis of peace. An air of Grand Tour romance hangs over the site where up…
Basilica di Santa Sabina
This solemn basilica, one of Rome's most beautiful early Christian churches, was founded by Peter of Illyria around AD 422. It was enlarged in the 9th…
B
Basilica dei SS Quattro Coronati
This brooding fortified church harbours some lovely 13th-century frescoes and a delightful hidden cloister, accessible from the left-hand aisle. The…
V
Villa del Priorato di Malta
Fronting an ornate cypress-shaded piazza, the Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Cavalieri di Malta (Knights of Malta), boasts…
C
Chiesa di Santo Stefano Rotondo
Set in its own secluded grounds, this haunting church boasts a porticoed facade and a round, columned interior. But what really gets the heart racing is…
G
Giardino degli Aranci
Officially called the Parco Savello but known to every Roman as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), this walled park is a romantic haven. Head down…

Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
For a thousand years this monumental cathedral was the most important church in Christendom. Commissioned by the emperor Constantine and consecrated in AD…
Terme di Caracalla
The remains of the emperor Caracalla’s vast baths complex are among Rome’s most awe-inspiring ruins. Inaugurated in AD 212, the original 10-hectare site,…
Basilica di San Clemente
Nowhere better illustrates the various stages of Rome's turbulent past than this fascinating multilayered church. The ground-level 12th-century basilica…
C
Cimitero Acattolico per gli Stranieri
Despite the roads that surround it, Rome’s 'non-Catholic' cemetery is a verdant oasis of peace. An air of Grand Tour romance hangs over the site where up…
Basilica di Santa Sabina
This solemn basilica, one of Rome's most beautiful early Christian churches, was founded by Peter of Illyria around AD 422. It was enlarged in the 9th…
B
Basilica dei SS Quattro Coronati
This brooding fortified church harbours some lovely 13th-century frescoes and a delightful hidden cloister, accessible from the left-hand aisle. The…
V
Villa del Priorato di Malta
Fronting an ornate cypress-shaded piazza, the Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Cavalieri di Malta (Knights of Malta), boasts…
C
Chiesa di Santo Stefano Rotondo
Set in its own secluded grounds, this haunting church boasts a porticoed facade and a round, columned interior. But what really gets the heart racing is…
G
Giardino degli Aranci
Officially called the Parco Savello but known to every Roman as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), this walled park is a romantic haven. Head down…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout San Giovanni & Testaccio.

See
Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
For a thousand years this monumental cathedral was the most important church in Christendom. Commissioned by the emperor Constantine and consecrated in AD…
See
Terme di Caracalla
The remains of the emperor Caracalla’s vast baths complex are among Rome’s most awe-inspiring ruins. Inaugurated in AD 212, the original 10-hectare site,…
See
Basilica di San Clemente
Nowhere better illustrates the various stages of Rome's turbulent past than this fascinating multilayered church. The ground-level 12th-century basilica…
See
Cimitero Acattolico per gli Stranieri
Despite the roads that surround it, Rome’s 'non-Catholic' cemetery is a verdant oasis of peace. An air of Grand Tour romance hangs over the site where up…
See
Basilica di Santa Sabina
This solemn basilica, one of Rome's most beautiful early Christian churches, was founded by Peter of Illyria around AD 422. It was enlarged in the 9th…
See
Basilica dei SS Quattro Coronati
This brooding fortified church harbours some lovely 13th-century frescoes and a delightful hidden cloister, accessible from the left-hand aisle. The…
See
Villa del Priorato di Malta
Fronting an ornate cypress-shaded piazza, the Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Cavalieri di Malta (Knights of Malta), boasts…
See
Chiesa di Santo Stefano Rotondo
Set in its own secluded grounds, this haunting church boasts a porticoed facade and a round, columned interior. But what really gets the heart racing is…
See
Giardino degli Aranci
Officially called the Parco Savello but known to every Roman as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), this walled park is a romantic haven. Head down…

Guidebooks

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