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L‘Artigianato del Rione MontiMonti, I rione di Roma, 14.654 inhabitants, density of 8720 /km2.

‚Il primo rione di Roma è Monti‘, the first quarter of

Rome is Monti says Alberto Manodori when he starts

his essay about the history of Rome. The most original

roman quarter, besides Trastevere on the other side of

the river, sticks out for its density of old, rooted Romans

and their diverse handcrafts. Three of the seven hills of

ancient Rome are part of it: Esqulino, Quirinale and Vi-

minale, which gave the ‚Rione‘ its name and can still be

seen in the emblem. Also parts of the ancient roman

city belongs to it: the ‚Fori imperiali‘, the ‚Terme di Tito‘,

the ‚Terme di Traiano‘ and the rests of the ‚domus au-

rea‘ on the small hill ‚Oppio‘ are based in the quarter.

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After a really dense population ‚Monti‘ has been almost

abandoned in the middle ages and was mostly used

by farmers for vineyards, barns and gardens. But the

people resettled it again after 1870 and made it today

to one of the most compact parts of Rome. After the ra-

pid change of Montis rivalling quarter Trastevere it was

the only rione in the city centre that kept its character.

„Infatti il rione è rimasto lo stesso

dall‘ antichità fino agli anni ‚80. E sempre stato po-

polare, habituato dagli artigiani - fabbri, falegnami,

restauratori , ma anche delle prostitute.“ (...) says

the restaurator Giuseppe Parisi who left his for-

mer profession as a bank employee to follow his

passion for antique furniture and pieces of art.

„È il rione più antico di Roma. Non sono i stessi edifici

ma il spirito non ha mai veramente cambiato.“ Ro-

man poet Catull is born here, Dictator Nero used to

stroll incognito through its dark and narrow alleyways

in order to hear what the plebs is saying about him,

Messalina, Emperor Claudios wife is said to have had

an appartment for secret meetings with her lovers.

Goods were crafted and sold in the small shops, fa-

mily life was taking place on the upper levels. This

character even survived several drastic urbanis-

tic interventions in the 1880‘s that were, on the one

hand, part of a great Masterplan for the whole city,

but should as well help to „clean“ the quarter, make

it more accessible, secure and easier to supervise.

The large Via Cavour, which is overgoing completely

the riones small scale, has been cut right through

it‘s heart in order to connect the central station Ter-

mini to the fori imperiali and the in that time already

growing „Ara della patria“. By doing so Monti was

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seperated in two parts. The second large injury to

the urban body is the extension of Via dei Serpenti

to the Colosseo. A part of the „Oppio“ hill had to be

removed in order to achieve the connection by Via

degli Annibaldi from Santa Maria ai Monti that further-

more offended the Colosseos first intended urbani-

stic setting- in a broad valley, surroundded by hills.

Even if the quarters visual appearance had comple-

tely changed the „tessuto sociale“ and for this it‘s

particular flair stayed the same for other 100 years.

„Purtroppo da 20 anni, Monti sta cambian-do.“

About 20 years ago the worldwide tendency of city

centres becoming prestigious and for that reason

also precious living areas started here as well. Rents

began to rise incredibly, and as „quasi tutti appar-

tamenti sono d‘affitto la maggior parte degli veri

Monticiani ha dovuto abbandonare il rione.“ Gius-

eppe Parisi starts to laugh as we ask him if he lives

in Monti- it‘s already quite difficult to keep his shop

in Via Urbana situated next to a metalworker and

a newly opened boutique for scandinavian fashion.

„Il problema non sono i touristi. A Monti c‘ è semp-

re stato tourismo visto ch‘ è situato acanto i mo-

numenti romani piu importanti! È che la gente chi

viene abitare qua non vive veramente il quartie-

re. Sono delle persone chi tornano qua solo la

sera dopo il lavoro, solo per dormire. Non han-

no bambini, e dopo un paio d‘ anni se ne vadono.“

Claudio Bartolacci, the instrument maker in Via

della Madonna dei Monti lowers his voice as we

ask him for the reasons for the change. „Ci sono

poche persone di potere chi abitano qua chi vo-

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gliono tagliarsi il rione come una camicia su mi-

sura.“ and looks at me with a meaningful gaze.

„Loro vogliono chiudere il rione per creare un piccolo

borgo di campagna. Come sulle cartoline illustrate.

Senza traffico, senza botteghe rumorose e sporche.“

According to him, the limitated traffic has had a remar-

kable influence on his business that he took over from

his father who opened the shop over 70 years ago. „The

biggest change and the biggest problem is the viability

and the inhabitants (...)“ Giulio Murasco, native Napo-

letanian one of the last goldsmiths left in Via Baccina

the former „via degli orafi“ agrees. „Certo, il quartiere

e più pulito, più ,carino‘...ma i negozi sono tutti chiusi!“

What sounds strange, considering the impressi-

ve amount of newly opened fashion-, music- and

accessory boutiques, fancy bars and restaurants

can only be explained by the lack of shops supply-

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ing the needs of everyday life and the gradual dis-

appearance of the diverse handcraft scene that gi-

ves space to a globalised mall-like structure- that

has equivalents in every major city. It doesn‘t mean

that all the shops are closed, but the ones which

were deeply rooted in the history of the quarter.

Artist Francesco Acca

can unknowingly serve as example of the history of

Monti. Living at Piazza della Madonna since 1965

and working as a car mechanic close by he has spent

most of his life here in the „rione più bello di tutta

Roma!“ In 1999 he switched his passion and professi-

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on and turned his garage in a gallery were he displays

his own and other artists works. „Io rimarrò sempre

a Monti. Ho avuto la fortuna di avere potuto comp-

rare il mio appartamento negli anni ‘60. Sennò non

sarei più qua.“ For him the changes are very obvious:

„Vai vedere fuori. Quando io sono arrivato, le strade

erano piene di gente, di bambini,...c‘era il mercato

nella strada ogni giorno. Non c‘è piu la famiglia al ri-

one Monti.“ Theres no more wet laundry drying in the

sun on Montis roof terraces, bankers, chiefdoctors or

chief editors have taken over the upper appartments.

Handcrafts have dramatically lost importance in

the second half of the 20th century because of the

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perfection of industrial production. The develop-

ment that is taking place in Monti at the moment is

only arriving delayed in comparison to other Euro-

pean city centres. The main value of the quarter is

no longer the professional knowledge and exper-

tise of the settled artigiani but the position within

the city and its beauty which attracts the creative

branch. The amount of newly opening architecture,

graphic or design practices is on the rise. There is

no other place in Rome where there can be found

such diverse and distinguished fashion boutiques.

If one considers those professions as the contem-

porary continuation of oldfashioned handcrafts the

authentic essence of the old quarter remains, but the

area now moves to a more modern cosmopolitan beat.