Garbatella: the 1920s garden city

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

1. 01

   1

   Piazza Benedetto Brin

   The founding square, where the first stone was laid in 1920. The *lotti* (housing blocks) radiate out from here — start by reading the plaque, then just wander into the nearest courtyard. The gates are open; residents are used to walkers.

   01

   Piazza Benedetto Brin

   The founding square, where the first stone was laid in 1920. The *lotti* (housing blocks) radiate out from here — start by reading the plaque, then just wander into the nearest courtyard. The gates are open; residents are used to walkers.

   ◉Street View
2. 02

   2

   Lotto 24 and the Scuola Cesare Battisti

   One of the best-kept *lotti* — low blocks around a shared garden, the architect Innocenzo Sabbatini's *barocchetto romano* style, all curved gables and outdoor stairs. The school across the way carries the same playful brickwork. Walk the courtyard slowly.

   02

   Lotto 24 and the Scuola Cesare Battisti

   One of the best-kept *lotti* — low blocks around a shared garden, the architect Innocenzo Sabbatini's *barocchetto romano* style, all curved gables and outdoor stairs. The school across the way carries the same playful brickwork. Walk the courtyard slowly.

   ◉Street View
3. 03

   3

   The public staircases (Via Roberto De Nobili)

   Garbatella was built on a slope, so the streets are stitched together by grand outdoor staircases with balustrades and lamps. These are the *quartiere*'s theatre — and the reason every Italian film crew ends up here. Climb a set; the views open as you go.

   03

   The public staircases (Via Roberto De Nobili)

   Garbatella was built on a slope, so the streets are stitched together by grand outdoor staircases with balustrades and lamps. These are the *quartiere*'s theatre — and the reason every Italian film crew ends up here. Climb a set; the views open as you go.

   ◉Street View
4. 04

   4

   Albergo Rosso

   Sabbatini's 'Red Hotel' on Piazza Michele da Carbonara — a 1929 communal *albergo suburbano* for displaced workers, with shared kitchens and a monumental red-brick face. Stand in the piazza below it; the whole thing is staged like an opera set.

   04

   Albergo Rosso

   Sabbatini's 'Red Hotel' on Piazza Michele da Carbonara — a 1929 communal *albergo suburbano* for displaced workers, with shared kitchens and a monumental red-brick face. Stand in the piazza below it; the whole thing is staged like an opera set.

   ◉Street View
5. 05

   5

   Piazza Sant'Eurosia and the Bianco / Giallo hotels

   Two more of Sabbatini's communal hotels — the White and the Yellow — close the experiment. Between them, a quiet square where the *garbatella* (the legendary tavern-keeper the place is named for) supposedly poured wine. Sit a moment.

   05

   Piazza Sant'Eurosia and the Bianco / Giallo hotels

   Two more of Sabbatini's communal hotels — the White and the Yellow — close the experiment. Between them, a quiet square where the *garbatella* (the legendary tavern-keeper the place is named for) supposedly poured wine. Sit a moment.

   ◉Street View
6. 06

   6

   Via delle Sette Chiese

   The old pilgrim road back toward the station, lined with neighbourhood bars and the kind of *osteria* that hasn't changed its menu in decades. Pick one for a glass before the Metro B home from Garbatella.

   06

   Via delle Sette Chiese

   The old pilgrim road back toward the station, lined with neighbourhood bars and the kind of *osteria* that hasn't changed its menu in decades. Pick one for a glass before the Metro B home from Garbatella.

   ◉Street View