Elegant, dynamic, modern: the Flaminio neighborhood has a unique personality. Bounded by the Tiber river and the Via Flaminia, from which it takes its name, it extends from the ancient Porta del Popolo, or Porta Flaminia, which gives access to the city center, to Ponte Milvio. Here you can find eclectic style buildings, rationalist buildings and modern futuristic structures. With its tree-lined avenues and many green spaces, the Flaminio district is perfect for outdoor living. In this area you will find a Rome that is a little less touristy but decidedly lively and fascinating: aren’t you eager to discover it?
Before 1870
Until the construction of the Tiber embankments, which changed the destiny of the Eternal City, the area where the Flaminio neighborhood would be built was unhealthy and almost uninhabited. In Roman times it was called Prata Flaminia and was systematically subject to flooding from the river. For this reason it was only home to necropolises (first pagan and then Christian), cultivated fields, gardens and patrician villas. The area remained sparsely populated, serving as a transit point for pilgrims and merchants on their way to Rome.
Crucial years
In 1877 the Hungarian publisher Ernesto Emanuele Oblieght, who owned vast tracts of land in the area, obtained a concession for a tramway between Piazzale Flaminio and Ponte Milvio. The development of this infrastructure, completed in 1904, favored the urbanization of the area, stimulating new residential and commercial settlements.
Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century the old crumbling villas were demolished and some interesting examples of council housing were built. In addition, the first industrial and service facilities were established: a car factory, an ice factory, a gasometer, a power station and many other production plants.
The 1911 Universal Exposition transformed the Flaminio district even further, connecting it to the Della Vittoria district with the new Risorgimento Bridge.
The present and future of the Flaminio district
In recent years, the neighborhood has undergone significant urban transformation, with extraordinary redevelopment projects. The construction of the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts (link to the article on MAXXI), and later that of the Ponte della Musica Armando Trovajoli have changed the face of the neighborhood.
The latest chapter in this evolution will be the Science Museum of Rome, which will be housed in the former Military Electronic and Precision Materials Plant in Via Guido Reni. The project should start to take shape in 2025.
The sporting vocation: between reality and paradox
For the inhabitants of Rome, the Flaminio neighborhood has always been synonymous with sports. The area in which Flaminio is located is between the Foro Italico and a number of buildings constructed between 1950 and 1965, for the 17th Olympic Games that took place in Rome. Among these are the Flaminio Stadium, the Palazzetto dello Sport (sports arena) and the Olympic Village.
Although the Flaminio neighborhood is massively affected by every sporting event that takes place at the Foro Italico and in the facilities that are located near Viale Tiziano, neither the Foro Italico nor the Flaminio Stadium are located within the administrative boundaries of the neighborhood! The Foro Italico area actually belongs to the Della Vittoria neighborhood, while the Flaminio Stadium is in the neighboring Parioli neighborhood.
However, our neighborhood can still take comfort in the many prestigious sports clubs, especially the rowing clubs, that are located on its stretch of the Tiber.
Strolling along Via Flaminia
A good starting point to get a taste of the Flaminio neighborhood is the square of the same name. Leave Porta del Popolo behind you and on your right you’ll see the colossal propylaea from the neoclassical era that mark the entrance to Villa Borghese (link to the article on Villa Borghese). In front of you is the beginning of Via Flaminia, the consular road built between 220 and 219 BC, which connects Rome to Rimini. For centuries it was the only major artery connecting the Eternal City to northern Italy.
There are some interesting buildings along this road, the first of which is Explora – The Children’s Museum of Rome.
Not suitable for children over 11 years of age
The Children’s Museum of Rome (MUBA), at Via Flaminia 80/86, is a magical place where young visitors can learn through play and creativity. It is an interactive space that offers unique experiences, designed to stimulate the curiosity and imagination of children aged 0 to 11 years. Educational activities, themed workshops and special events are designed to involve children and adults in fun and educational adventures. The museum is also very popular with accompanying adults, so if you don’t have children or grandchildren… ask a friend to lend you a child and enjoy MUBA!
Piazza della Marina: the strength of the State
Once you’ve passed MUBA, on the left you’ll see the large Piazza della Marina. This square is dominated by the enormous Palazzo Marina, designed by the architect Giulio Magni and inaugurated in 1928. In this imposing building, 142 meters long, you can see echoes of Art Nouveau, Michelangelo and Baroque. The building houses various offices and the Central Library of the Italian Navy. All the reception rooms have marble, furnishings and decorations inspired by the sea, from seahorse-shaped handles to wave-shaped seats.
The back of the building, which faces the square, can be accessed from 17 Lungotevere delle Navi. The entrance is framed by two large anchors, real war trophies, symbolizing the power of the Royal Navy during the First World War.
The shopping district
On the other side of Piazza della Marina is Borghetto Flaminio, an area with a troubled history, characterized by illegal building, occupations, alienations and projects that were never completed. Despite the fact that it is becoming less degraded, but not yet perfectly respectable, Borghetto Flaminio has a nice surprise in store for you. Here, every other Sunday since 1994, a lively flea market has been held, inspired by the American tradition of emptying attics and garages to sell all kinds of things: toys, furniture, clothing. If you are passionate about vintage and second hand, this could be the place for you.
Casina Vagnuzzi and the Accademia Filarmonica Romana
At number 118 Via Flaminia there is an elegant building dating back to the 16th century. It was part of the estate of Julius III, Pope from 1550 to 1555, and in 1810 it was renovated in a neoclassical style by the architect Giuseppe Valadier. Later it became a refined country villa with an English garden, by order of Luigi Vagnuzzi, from whom the Casina takes its name. Since 1960 the building has been the headquarters of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana, one of the oldest musical institutions in Rome and in Italy, founded in 1821. During the summer season the Accademia’s gardens, a charming and relaxing oasis, host concerts and events.
The Renaissance jewel of Sant’Andrea del Vignola
Continuing along Via Flaminia, you pass the Fortuny Studio (the atelier of the Spanish painter Mariano Fortuny y Carbó, commemorated in the two plaques that adorn the building), the so-called notaries’ quarter (a block that houses various notary offices) and the Red Cross Garden.
Just one block away is the Church of Sant’Andrea del Vignola, also known as the Temple of Sant’Andrea a Via Flaminia. It was built around 1553 by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, commissioned by Pope Julius III. The church was originally a votive chapel, built in memory of the escape of the Pope, then a cardinal, during the Sack of Rome in 1527. Made of exposed brick, the building has a peperino stone façade with an elegant triangular tympanum and a portal decorated with pilasters. The unusual oval dome, covered in cocciopesto (crushed tile) and set on an elliptical inner frame, is an innovation that blends elements of humanist culture with the new requirements of the Counter-Reformation. The interior, simple but harmonious, consists of a rectangular hall with an apse of the same size.
Little London: a corner of England in Rome
How are you feeling? Tired yet, or can you continue without any problems? Come on, make a little effort: only 500 meters separate you from Little London. Yes, you read correctly. In Rome there is a street that seems to have come out of a London neighborhood. It’s Via Bernardo Celentano, where pastel-colored houses, wrought iron gates and flower gardens follow one after the other: it doesn’t seem like you’re in the Eternal City at all!
This corner of England, designed by the architect Quadrio Pirani, was created by Ernesto Nathan, mayor of Rome from 1907 to 1913, who promoted a modernization of the city inspired by Anglo-Saxon models. Nathan wanted to transform the Eternal City into a modern European capital, introducing innovations in public services and urban planning. Little London was part of this vision and was intended for the emerging middle class, made up of civil servants, professionals and officials. However, the model did not spread widely and remained an exception in the city, making Little London a fascinating and timeless place, perfect for a photographic stroll or a relaxing break away from the chaos of the city.
Hendrik Andersen House Museum: the utopia of art
Not far from the Via Flaminia, there is a museum that we recommend you visit. It’s the Hendrik Andersen House Museum, named after the Norwegian-American sculptor who died in Rome in 1940. It’s located at 20 Via Pasquale Stanislao Mancini. It’s a splendid residence, designed and inhabited by the artist, who renamed it Villa Helene, in homage to his mother. Andersen, known for his monumental sculptures, transformed this house into a space that reflected his artistic vision and his passion for architecture, creating a unique fusion between his works and the surrounding environment.
The museum layout, where space and time seem suspended, allows visitors to better understand the thoughts and work of Andersen, who wanted to turn his studio into a “World City”, where artistic, philosophical and scientific ideas could constantly interact.
