Aurelio is the name of the 13th quartiere of Rome. It encompasses the area directly to the west and the south of the Vatican city. The neighborhood gets its name from the Via Aurelia.
Aurelio District Rome (Quartiere XIII)
The Aurelio district is located around the first kilometers of the ancient Via Aurelia consular road. The first inhabitants of the area were the Etruscans. When the Romans took over, the area was mostly used for vegetable gardens. The area was quite malarious, which made it unhealthy for people to live in. The initial part of the Via Aurelia was probably laid in 241 BC.
One of the gardens around the Via Aurelia was owned by Emperor Caligula’s mother, Vipsania Agrippa. This garden stretched all the way to the Tiber, and included what is now the Vatican City.
The Via Aurelia starts at the Porta Cavalleggeri. Just beyond the Piazza di Villa Carpegna, it is joined by the Via Aurelia Vecchia, which starts at the Porta San Pancrazio.
There used to be many caves where clay was won in the area around the Via Aurelia Nova. Hence, there were also many brickworks. This is still evident from street names, such as the Via delle Fornaci. This area came to be nicknamed Valle dell’Inferno as a result. The last brickworks were closed in 1960.
The first steps to the creation of an actual neighborhood were set in the 1920’s.
Thanks to its vicinity to the Vatican City, there are nowadays several religious institutions in the district.
Tourist attractions
In the Aurelio district a number of well-known churches can be found, like the Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci and the Chiesa dei Santi Protomartiri Romani.
Public transportation
Roma San Pietro, one of the secondary railway stations of the city, is located in the eastern part of the district. The Valle Aurelia station is located on its northern border.