San Lorenzo is an urban zone in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy. Administratively it was part of both Municipio II and Quarter VI Tiburtino. It occupies roughly the two sides of the early stretch of

Via Tiburtina Via Tiburtina is an ancient road in Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli (Latin, Tibur) and then, with the via Valeria, on to Pescara (Latin, Aternum). Historical road It was probably built by the Roman censor Marcus Valerius Maxim ...

, starting from Termini railway station and ending at the Verano area. The latter includes the ancient basilica of

San Lorenzo fuori le Mura The Basilica Papale di San Lorenzo fuori le mura (Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls) is a Roman Catholic Minor papal basilica and parish church, located in Rome, Italy. The Basilica is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome ...

, from which the district takes its name. Originally a working-class neighbourhood (its inhabitants were mostly workers of the Wuehrer Brewery and the freight yard), it has been a popular, left-oriented area. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

San Lorenzo was heavily bombed by Allied planes (on 1943-07-19); the only massive bombing of Rome during the war (though not the only air raid on the city), it aimed at disrupting the railway communication pivoting on the nearby huge freight yard; however, it caused also extensive damage to the buildings of the district (including the Policlinico Umberto I and the basilica itself) and killing some 1,500 people. Maria Montessori's first 3-6 age program was started in San Lorenzo in 1907. Today San Lorenzo, due to the vicinity of the

La Sapienza The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a public research university located in Rome, Ita ...

University, is increasingly assuming the character of a student and young artist district.

Pizzeria A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta. Many pizzerias offer take-away, where the customer orders their food either in advance or at the restaurant and then tak ...

s, bookshops, boutiques and other modern places are subsequently replacing the old popular workshops and small markets. The city is zone of many bars, cafes, restaurants and

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s which host also a different cultural discussions and art exhibitions.

In popular culture

*Italian singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori released in 1982 a song dedicated to the 1943 bombing. It is included in the ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

'' album of 1982.

References

*Claudio Rendina, ''Enciclopedia di Roma'', Newton Compton, Rome, 1999. {{Coord, 41.897102, N, 12.515745, E, source:itwiki_region:IT_type:landmark, format=dms, display=title Subdivisions of Rome Rome Q. VI Tiburtino

In popular culture

See also

References