Monti at a glance: where, for whom, when
Monti is rione I, the first of Rome's historic districts. Its name, "the hills", comes from the hills it originally covered: the Viminal, the Esquiline and part of the Quirinal and the Caelian. In antiquity, the hollow between these hills was the Subura (Suburra), a working-class district, crowded and noisy, where Julius Caesar lived for many years. Piazza della Suburra, near Cavour metro station, still bears its name.
Today the neighbourhood has two moods. South-west of Via Cavour, around Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, lies a maze of narrow lanes that come alive in the evening. To the north and east, straighter streets climb towards Via Nazionale and Santa Maria Maggiore.
The area suits travellers looking for a lived-in Rome, with local shops, workshops and terraces, while staying close to the great ancient sites. Come in the late afternoon: shops reopen after the midday break, the light is soft on the façades and the square fills up at aperitivo time.
Streets to explore
Piazza della Madonna dei Monti
This is the heart of the neighbourhood. The two-basin fountain in the middle of the square was designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1588; it is also called the Fountain of the Catechumens, after the college that once housed converts on the square. In the evening, its steps serve as benches for residents and students having a drink. Four streets lead into it: Via dei Serpenti, Via Baccina, Via Leonina and Via della Madonna dei Monti.
Via del Boschetto and Via Panisperna
A little further north, Via del Boschetto is lined with jewellers' workshops, designer clothing boutiques and vintage shops. It meets Via Panisperna, a long sloping street that crosses the neighbourhood to the edge of Santa Maria Maggiore. Its name comes from the nearby monastery of San Lorenzo in Panisperna. In the 1930s, the physics institute on this street housed Enrico Fermi's team, the "ragazzi di via Panisperna", who discovered the properties of slow neutrons there in 1934.
Via dei Serpenti and Via Urbana
Via dei Serpenti, which runs through the square, slopes down towards Via Cavour and, in its lower section, offers a view of the top of the Colosseum. It is one of the busiest shopping streets in the area, with cafés, gelato shops and fashion boutiques. On the other side of Via Cavour, Via Urbana follows the line of the ancient vicus Patricius: quiet and narrow, lined with workshops and small restaurants, it passes the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana, whose late 4th-century apse mosaic is one of the oldest in Rome.
As you walk, look up: Monti keeps many "madonnelle", small shrines to the Virgin fixed to the corners of buildings, often framed in stucco and lit at night.
The churches of Monti
Santa Maria ai Monti
The church that gives the square its name was built in 1580 by Giacomo della Porta, after an image of the Virgin was found in a barn in the neighbourhood. Its plain façade and dome dominate Via della Madonna dei Monti. The Baroque interior is a good example of Counter-Reformation churches.
San Pietro in Vincoli and Michelangelo's Moses
From Via Cavour, a staircase that passes under an archway, the Salita dei Borgia, climbs to the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli (Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli 4/a). Beneath the altar it keeps the chains that tradition links to St Peter's imprisonment, and above all the tomb of Pope Julius II, with the Moses carved by Michelangelo around 1513-1515. Entry is free. The basilica opens Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to 12:20pm and on Sunday from 9am to 12 noon, then daily from 3pm to 6:50pm in summer time and until 5:50pm in winter time; no visits during Mass.
Santa Prassede and the Chapel of St Zeno
Tucked away in a side street south of Santa Maria Maggiore (Via di Santa Prassede 9/a), the Basilica of Santa Prassede was rebuilt in the 9th century by Pope Paschal I. Its Chapel of St Zeno, built for the pope's mother, is the only chapel in Rome entirely covered with mosaics, on a gold background. The church closes at lunchtime, like most of those in the neighbourhood.
The two great neighbouring basilicas
To the east, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore marks the edge of the neighbourhood: its 5th-century mosaics and the tomb of Pope Francis make it a natural stop at the start or end of your walk. East of the Colosseum, the Basilica of San Clemente lets you go underground as far as a temple of Mithras; book the excavations online before you come.
Ancient Rome on the edge of the neighbourhood
Monti borders the great ancient sites directly. Via Cavour and Via dei Serpenti lead out to the Colosseum, less than ten minutes' walk from the square. To the west, Via Baccina and Via della Madonna dei Monti lead to Via dei Fori Imperiali and the entrance to the Roman Forum, where a stone wall, part of the enclosure of the Forum of Augustus, still separates the neighbourhood from the ruins. Opposite the Colosseum, the Colle Oppio park covers the Domus Aurea, Nero's palace, whose visiting arrangements are set out in our guide.
This closeness makes for an easy day: ruins in the morning, lunch and a stroll in Monti in the afternoon. Our itinerary what to do in Rome in one day suggests a detailed plan.
Eating, drinking and browsing in Monti
The neighbourhood has plenty of family trattorias, wine bars and pizza al taglio shops, especially around Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, Via Urbana and Via del Boschetto. A few pointers to help you choose:
- At the counter: coffee drunk standing at the bar costs much less than at a table or on a terrace; prices must be displayed.
- In the evening: the terraces on the square fill up from 7pm. Residents often buy a beer or a glass to take away and sit on the steps of the fountain.
- Booking: the small trattorias of Via Urbana and Via del Boschetto have few tables; book for dinner on Friday or Saturday.
- Browsing: vintage shops and ceramics, bookbinding and jewellery workshops are concentrated on Via del Boschetto, Via dei Serpenti and Via Panisperna. Many close between 1pm and 4pm and on Sunday mornings.
Beware of restaurants with touts and photo menus in several languages on Via Cavour and around the Colosseum: they are often more expensive and of lower quality than those in the side streets.
Summary table: the stops in Monti
| Stop | What you see | Entry | On foot from Piazza della Madonna dei Monti |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piazza della Madonna dei Monti | Fountain from 1588, terraces | Open access | On the spot |
| Santa Maria ai Monti | Church by Giacomo della Porta (1580) | Free | On the spot |
| San Pietro in Vincoli | Michelangelo's Moses, St Peter's chains | Free | 5 min |
| Santa Prassede | Chapel of St Zeno, entirely in mosaic | Free | 15 min |
| Santa Maria Maggiore | 5th-century mosaics, tomb of Pope Francis | Free (museum charges) | 15 min |
| San Clemente | Three levels, Mithraeum | Church free, excavations €10 | 15 min |
| Colosseum | Flavian Amphitheatre | Ticketed, booking required | 10 min |
Prices checked in October 2026. Walking times are approximate and take the slopes into account.
Getting to Monti and staying there
Cavour metro station (line B) serves the heart of the neighbourhood, on Via Cavour. Colosseo (line B) and Colosseo-Fori Imperiali (line C) stations lie to the south, and Termini, 15 minutes' walk away, connects to the whole of Rome. The lanes are steep and often cobbled: wear comfortable shoes. For tickets and lines, see our guide to transport in Rome.
Monti is also a good base to stay: central, well connected and lively without being as noisy as Trastevere. Rooms overlooking the square or Via dei Serpenti can be loud on Friday and Saturday nights. Our guide where to stay in Rome compares the neighbourhoods to stay in according to your budget and plans.
Further reading
To plan your day, combine Monti with the Colosseum and the Forum in our one-day itinerary. For metro and bus tickets, read our guide to transport in Rome, and to choose your hotel, where to stay in Rome.
