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Rome-Roma > Rione Ripa of Rome

Historic district: Rione Ripa of Rome

Rione Ripa in RomeThe Rione Ripa, the 12ᵗʰ rione of Rome (R. XII), takes its name from the former river port Ripa Grande, on the left bank of the Tiber. It includes the Aventine Hill, the Murcia Valley, and Tiber Island. In 1921, Testaccio and San Saba were separated from it.
It is one of the earliest districts of Rome, with the presence of a port in its early days, followed by several commercial fora. The Aventine Hill was the stronghold of the plebeians as well as a religious center, before the establishment of aristocratic villas under the Empire, later fortified in the Middle Ages and accompanied by monasteries, including the Templar commandery. It was later associated with the Knights of Malta and the Benedictines, who remain present.
A Greek community settled in Ripa in the 4ᵗʰ century CE.

Today a peaceful district, particularly on the residential and religious Aventine Hill, it features notable and imposing sites such as the Circus Maximus, the largest ancient arena, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin with the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth), the Forum Boarium with its Roman temples, the Orange Garden on the Aventine, Tiber Island, and.

Its coat of arms, a white wheel on a red background, symbolizes the vanished port of Ripa Grande.