Testaccio is the heart of Rome — a declaration that the working-class neighborhood of Testaccio, not the tourist monuments or the Vatican, represents the true soul of the city. Used to assert authentic Roman identity against the commercialized, tourist-facing version of Rome.
Testaccio is one of Rome's most historically distinctive neighborhoods, built in the late nineteenth century to house the workers of the new slaughterhouse — the 'Mattatoio' — established there in 1891. The neighborhood's character was formed by generations of 'scortichini' (slaughterhouse workers) and their families, who developed the 'cucina del quinto quarto' — the cuisine of offal and cheap cuts that became the most celebrated expression of authentic Roman cooking. Monte Testaccio, the neighborhood's name-giving hill, is in fact an ancient artificial mound composed entirely of broken Roman amphora sherds — the discarded containers of the olive oil, wine, and garum imported through the nearby river port of the Emporium. The neighborhood also gave Rome one of its most passionate football supporter communities: AS Roma's ultras have historically been rooted in Testaccio. The proverb asserts Testaccio's claim against the tourist-facing Rome of Trevi Fountains and Colosseum selfies.
Monte Testaccio — the neighborhood's defining landmark — is composed of approximately 53 million broken amphorae dating from the first to third centuries AD, representing the waste from the largest wholesale distribution center of ancient Rome, the Emporium on the Tiber.
A Roman foodie defends Testaccio against more fashionable neighborhoods
Il cibo vero è a Testaccio — Testaccio è er core de Roma, non Prati.
Real food is in Testaccio — Testaccio is the heart of Rome, not Prati.
A Testaccio local explains the neighborhood to a visiting journalist
Qui lavoravano i nonni dei miei nonni. Testaccio è er core de Roma — e lo sa.
Here worked the grandparents of my grandparents. Testaccio is the heart of Rome — and it knows it.
A Roman football fan declares his neighborhood pride
Dove nasce er tifo vero? Testaccio è er core de Roma, sempre stato così.
Where does real fan spirit come from? Testaccio is the heart of Rome, it has always been so.
A Roman chef explains his culinary philosophy
La mia cucina viene da lì — dal Mattatoio, dall'odore del mercato. Testaccio è er core de Roma.
My cooking comes from there — from the slaughterhouse, from the smell of the market. Testaccio is the heart of Rome.