Rome neighborhoods: San Lorenzo

The lively and bohemian San Lorenzo zone is located in the south-east area of the capital, sandwiched between the Aurelian Walls and the Verano Cemetery.
 

The San Lorenzo zone over time
This is a relatively young neighborhood, as it was born in the second half of the 19th century, following the sudden urbanistic frenzy of the nineteenth-century Rome. The first houses built in the neighborhood were those destined for the workers who came from various parts of Italy.
San Lorenzo was initially a dormitory neighborhood, without infrastructures which soon fell prey to degradation. Thanks to the presence of two important factories, a brewery and the Cerere pasta factory, in the twenty years it became the * crossroads of the proletariat * and of a heated anti-fascism.
It was hit hard by the bombing of World War II and its reconstruction was slow and difficult.
 

The San Lorenzo zone today
This zone was born in spite of itself as a popular neighborhood and it has maintained this characteristic over the years, keeping close to a socio-demographic homogeneity that is difficult to find in other areas of the city. Today San Lorenzo is a neighborhood that welcomes many university students coming from all over Italy, thanks to its specific position. It is a stone’s throw away from La Sapienza, the University that has the most members in all of Europe and raises between the two main railway arterial roads of the city, Termini Station and Tiburtina Station.
The proximity of this neighborhood to Policlinico, CNR and other fundamental Roman structures, have led the area towards a peculiar demographic development. Over the years, in fact, there has been a sort of diaspora of the resident population in favor of the “mobile” population, that is, both Roman and out-of-town students and workers. Today, the demographic development of San Lorenzo tells of a neighborhood that has a high level of education among its inhabitants and a high population density. A * fermenting reality *: this is its soul, thanks to the high concentration of the tertiary sector in its boundaries. It also occupies a highly respected position in Roman toponymy: here there are railways, universities and ministries. It is the best choice for students and all those people who want to live a reality that is clearly different from the Roman chaos.
 

Where to go in San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo is a unique human-sized meeting point between culture and asphalt. The area has an intense nightlife.
In a short time, indeed, it has become one of the main references for young people throughout the city. The starting point of the neighborhood is Piazza dell’Immacolata: a crossroads from which an infinite number of clubs, pubs and restaurants, which have become the pride of a neighborhood now called the Roman Montmartre, take off. San Lorenzo is also full of shops, small craft shops and interesting artists’ studios. The cultural offer of the neighborhood is varied and of excellent quality. It is an area that changes constantly, thanks to the massive presence of young people of all ages. In the area it is possible to visit the Aurelian Walls, the majestic Verano Cemetery and the Basilica of San Lorenzo outside the walls, one of the four most important churches in Rome, where there is a beautiful mosaic.
Being a focal point of urban transport, it is connected to the most important areas of the city. Beyond the proximity to Termini Station, San Lorenzo is connected with Prati, Appia Nuova and the downtown areas. Thanks to Castro Pretorio Metro Station you can easily reach Piazza di Spagna and the famous Via dei Condotti. Two tram lines connect the area with the Vatican, Trastevere and Testaccio, along with other important areas of the capital. The zone also offers numerous services: two libraries, one of which is dedicated to children, a cinema and various pharmacies that are opened even at night.
Visiting San Lorenzo means choosing a reality full of stimuli and constantly moving, made up of culture, entertainment and history.