Tuscolano is the 8th quartiere of Rome and is named for the Via Tuscolana. The district consists of (parts of) the neighbourhoods the Romans call Mandrione, Tor Pignattara, Appio-Tuscolano and San Giovanni.
Tuscolano District Rome
History and description
The Tuscolano district is one of the biggest districts of Rome. It starts just outside the old city walls, near the Basilica of saint John in Lateran and stretches all the way to the Via del Quadraro in the east. Its northern border is the Via Casilina and its southern border is the Via Appia Nuova. The Via Tuscolana is the main street and runs straight through the district.
The Via Tuscolana was laid during the middle ages, to connect Rome to the city of Frascati, which in those days was still called Tuscolo. The first time the street is officially mentioned is in a papal decree by Pope Honorius III in 1217.
The only really interesting part of the district from a tourist point of view is around the Via del Mandrione. This street is lined by huge walls that support five of the ancient Roman aqueducts. The Aqua Marcia, the Aqua Tepula and the Aqua Iulia all used the same conduit,, whereas the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus shared another one. (There are no traces left of two other aqueducts the used to run through the area, the Aqua Antonina and the Aqua Mariana).
The Tuscolano district was among the first 15 quartieri to be created and exists since 1921.
During World War II the area was bombed and as a result many of the buildings are of fairly recent construction.
Of the districts outside the old city walls Tuscolano is one of the easiest to reach by public transport. There are several metro line A stops in the area and along the Via Casilina there are a number of stops on a local train line.
Tourist attractions
The Via Appia Nuova is a relatively uninteresting street as far as actual tourist attractions go, but there are many shops and prices are obviously way more convenient than in the more centrally located shopping streets.
The most interesting monuments are the Porta Furba and a number of aqueducts like the Acquedotto Felice and the Acquedotto Claudio. Most of the churches in the district were built in the 20th century.
The Via Tuscolana meets the Via del Mandrione at the Porta Furba city gate. Next to the gate there is a commemmorative fountain for the Aqua Felice Aquaduct. This fountain is known as the Porta Furba Fountain.