Gianicolense market
Gianicolense market at San Giovanni di Dio square, in Monteverde, has been waiting for renovation – announced and then denied several times – for over 20 years. The market sellers association has rejected the proposal of a covered market, such as Trionfale, to preserve the original open market structure. With its 125 stalls, Gianicolense is actually one of the biggest open air markets in Rome and wants to preserve its history and identity.
A walk through the stalls
“This license dates back to 1940, when they used to sell on the street – says Laura, three generations of fruit and veg sellers, as shown on black and white pictures on the sign, 'Laura’s garden' – My grandmother used to sell the products she grew and used to harvest cicoria in the fields, then the stall passed on to my parents and later to me. I will keep going until I can, all the products I sell come from Lazio countryside, except for some greenhouse products (peppers, aubergines) that I get from Sicilia in winter, in order to meet clients’ needs”.
After an initial phase, when the market was on the street, with carts carrying products from wholesale markets or directly from the countryside, in 1960, at the same time of the set-up of the Olympics, the structure we see today was put in place. After more than 50 years, the stalls are still there, with many problems that have worsened throughout the years: the lack of parking, the trash processor now obsolete, the structures showing the signs of a long past.
It’s a shame because the market in San Giovanni di Dio square it’s an interesting place, where traditional stalls live together with funny characters, typically Roman (Marco for example, aka Marchese del Grillo – literally cricket marquise – “because I laugh, joke and make fun of everyone”); farmers bringing their fruits and vegetables from Maccarese ('Riccardo and Valentina, fresh and genuine vegetables), Cerveteri, Sezze and Latina; bakers; butchers and fishmongers; baked products stalls from Castelli areas (cookies, doughnuts, jams) and exotic vegetables for recipes from all around the world. But also clothes, linen, shoes and even jewelry stalls.
Among the most interesting food ones, there is Carla’s egg stand. The eggs come from Agricola, firm in Casali valley, which strength are domestic chickens “raised up respecting animal rights and your health” as their slogan says. A family business, which takes its roots from the grandparents Crescentino and Margherita in early ‘900.
Alice’s wonderland
“At Gianicolense market I met this nice lady who talks to her chickens, so that they make better eggs. With this wonderful eggs, she makes some tagliatelle that – to be honest – are really good.
Mummy is always worried about me not eating enough and I know she comes up with some ‘tricks’ every now and then. For example, the day we went to Gianicolense market she told me: “For lunch we have grandma Pina’s tagliatelle”.
Because she knows I like a lot this song about a girl who does a bunch of things (music, dance, karate and even cross bike) and who is tired because she also has a lot of books to study and so, as a secret arm, she eats these tagliatelle made by her grandma called Pina. My grandma is called Giuliana, she cooks very well but doesn’t make any tagliatelle. So I ate the ones sold by this lady who talks to her chickens even if I struggled to roll them around the fork and then with my face all red of sauce, I told Mummy “I like grandma Pina’s tagliatelle”. Even if I know they are not hers, but who cares? As long as Mummy is happy”.
Just around the corner
S.Giovanni di Dio square is located in the heart of New Monteverde district, which has less historic and artistic attractions than the "old" one, but as many stories. Many of these have been told by Pier Paolo Pasolini, a big fan of the neighborhood when it was still a working-class area and not in the ‘wish list’ of so many Romans (both natives and adoptive ones). Those who wish to read them, can find them in the novel "Life Boys" (original title ‘Ragazzi di vita’). Those who wish to listen to these stories directly from one of those “boys” (called ‘er Pecetta’ in the novel) can just walk down Ozanam road and at number 134 will find the seat of “LO SCRITTOIO” (literally writing table), the cultural club-atelier of the poet and painter Silvio Parrello. In this place “er Pecetta” keeps and transfers the historic memories of these streets, and that of the poet who came from Friuli to Rome to adopt it and be adopted, and to catch its soul how only a foreigner can do, in the same years when Fellini from Rimini and Flaiano from Pescara were doing the same magic.
For Pasolini Donna Olimpia road was the one marking the border between Old and New Monteverde, defining its identity, working-class and noble at the same time. Donna Olimpia was an ambitious and unscrupulous lady of XVII century who succeeded in marrying a member of the powerful Pamphilj family, becoming sister-in-law of pope Innocenzo X and taking over the Pope’s court control, until she was named “Papessa” (literally female pope) and became protagonist of many common legends, not really flattering. To her family in law is entitled one of the most loved parks of the city: VILLA DORIA PAMPHILJ. With its 184 hectares, it’s the biggest ‘green lung’ in Rome: heaven for runners or for anyone looking for peace in the heart of town, the villa has also a number of artistic attractions. Among them stands up the CASINO DEL BEL RESPIRO, a sixth century cottage built by Algardi inspired by Este villa in Tivoli. Inside its secret garden, the Libyan dictator Gaddafi settled his tents and wanted to receive the homage of some Italian politicians, who wrote one of the saddest pages of our recent history with this pilgrimage, in the same place where, in 1849, the defenders of Roman Republic had written with their blood a more glorious one.
Gallery
| DOVE | Piazza San Giovanni di Dio |
| GIORNI DI APERTURA | Lunedì - Sabato |
| ORARIO | 6:00 - 14:00 |
| PARCHEGGIO | difficile, lungo la circonvallazione Gianicolense |
| AUTOBUS | dalla stazione Termini, Linea H da Largo Argentina, Linea 8 (tram) |
| where | Piazza San Giovanni di Dio |
| open | Monday – Saturday, h 6:00 – 14:00 |
| PARking | difficult, along Gianicolense ring road |
| BUS |
from Termini, Line H |