The district Primavalle, Rome‘s 27th quartiere, has never had much to offer for tourists. It is situated in the north-eastern part of the city, between the Via di Boccea (south), the Via Trionfale (north) and the Via della Pineta Sacchetti and the Via della Valle dei Fontanili on its eastern and western sides.
Primavalle District Rome (Q. XXVI)
It is one of a number of districts constructed during the fascist regime in order to create housing for those forced to move away from the central areas of the city. The reason for this was the construction of new streets like the Via della Conciliazione (near the Vatican City) and the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Twelve new districts were created on the outskirts of the city, one of which was the present Primavalle.
Although construction was started in 1936, Primavalle was not finished until the 1950’s. The following years saw a boost in illegal construction and the quartiere got nicknamed montagna di sapone (“mountain of soap”), because of the poverty of its inhabitants.
All through its history, the quartiere Primavalle has been known for its poverty and criminality. There are attempts to leave this reputation behind, one of which is Muracci nostri (“our old and ugly walls”), an neighborhood initiative promoting street art.