Built after the barbarians’ invasion of Rome, the remarkably well-preserved Porta San Paolo once served as a southern gate in the 3rd-century Aurelian Walls. Today, it houses a small museum dedicated to the history of Via Ostiense, an essential arterial road in ancient times. The space also displays priceless inscriptions, frescoes and paintings recovered throughout history.
Porta San Paolo
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.47 MILES
Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and enlarged by successive pontiffs, the Vatican Museums boast one of the world's greatest art…
1.08 MILES
Everyone wants to see the Colosseum, and it doesn’t disappoint, especially if accompanied by tales of armored gladiators and hungry lions. More than any…
2.25 MILES
In the city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter's, Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular basilica. Built atop a 4th…
1.07 MILES
An impressive – if rather confusing – sprawl of ruins, the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece center, a grandiose district of temples...
0.88 MILES
Sandwiched between the Roman Forum and the Circo Massimo, the Palatino (Palatine Hill) is one of Rome's most spectacular sights. It's a beautiful,…
1.13 MILES
Dating from 1471, the Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museums, with a fine collection of classical sculpture.
1.53 MILES
With its revolutionary design, this awe-inspiring temple has served as an architectural blueprint for millennia.
1.58 MILES
With its showy fountains, baroque palazzi and colorful cast of street artists, hawkers and tourists, Piazza Navona is central Rome’s elegant showcase…
Nearby San Giovanni & Testaccio attractions
0.03 MILES
Sticking out like, well, an Egyptian pyramid, this distinctive landmark looms over a busy traffic junction near Piramide metro station. A 36m-high marble…
2. Cimitero Acattolico per gli Stranieri
0.1 MILES
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…
0.29 MILES
In the heart of the eponymous neighbourhood, this grass-covered mount, known locally as Monte dei Cocci, is an artificial hill made entirely from the…
0.32 MILES
It's fading fast: Bolognese artist Blu (www.blublu.org) painted this former military warehouse in a rainbow of sinister faces, incorporating the building…
0.42 MILES
Housed in Rome’s former slaughterhouse, the Mattatoio complex is one of Rome's top contemporary arts venues. Its cavernous halls, themselves fine examples…
6. Villa del Priorato di Malta
0.48 MILES
Fronting an ornate cypress-shaded piazza, the Roman headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Cavalieri di Malta (Knights of Malta), boasts…
7. UN Food & Agriculture Organisation
0.53 MILES
Seat of the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation since 1952, this vast building was originally commissioned by Mussolini to house the Ministry of Italian…
0.55 MILES
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…