Rioni of Rome

A map of the center of Rome with its rioni

A rione (pl. rioni) is an Italian term used since the Middle Ages to name the districts of Rome, according to the administrative divisions of that time. The word originates from the Latin word regio (pl. regiones, meaning region); during the Middle Ages the Latin word became rejones, from which rione.

Ancient Rome

According to the tradition the Regiones were established for the first time by Servius Tullius: they were only four.

Then, during the Imperial ages, Augustus increased their number to 14: all but Transtiberim (the modern Trastevere) were on the left bank of the river Tiber. They were (see 14 regions of the Augustan Rome):

1. Porta Capena
2. Caelimontium
3. Isis et Serapis
4. Templum Pacis
5. Esquiliae
6. Alta Semita
7. Via Lata
8. Forum Romanum
9. Circus Flaminius
10. Palatium
11. Circus Maximus
12. Piscina Publica
13. Aventinus
14. Transtiberim

Middle Ages

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the decline of Rome, the population decreased and the division in regiones was lost. During the 12th century a division in 12 parts started being used, but it had not been decided by the leaders but simply by the common use of the people. Even if the areas were different from the ancient ones, they still used the same name: regio in Latin and rione in vulgar language.

The limits of the rioni became more definitive and official in the 13th century: their number increased to 13 and it remained the same until the 16th century. In this period, anyway, the limits were quite uncertain. The Rione was not a political entity, but only an administrative one. His chief was the Caporione.

Modern ages

During the Renaissance there was a deep reorganization and expansion of the city, so it became necessary to delimit the rioni exactly.

In 1586 Sixtus V added to the 13 rioni another one: Borgo, which before had been administered separately from the city. This situation, thanks to the low population increase, did not change until the 19th century.

In 1744 Pope Benedict XIV, because of frequent misunderstanding, decided to replan the administrative division of Rome, giving the responsibility of it to Count Bernardini. The marble plates defining the borders of each rione and partly still existing have been put in place in that year.

In 1798, during the Roman Republic, there was a rationalization of the administrative division of the city creating 12 rioni (in brackets there is the modern one they correspond to):

1. Terme (part of Monti);
2. Suburra (part of Monti);
3. Quirinale (Trevi);
4. Pincio (Colonna);
5. Marte (Campo Marzio);
6. Bruto (Ponte);
7. Pompeo (Regola and Parione);
8. Flaminio (Sant'Eustachio);
9. Pantheon (Pigna and Sant'Angelo);
10. Campidoglio (Campitelli e Ripa);
11. Gianicolo (Trastevere);
12. Vaticano (Borgo);

Soon after this, during the domination of Napoleon, Rome was split up in 8 parts, now called Giustizie (meaning "justices" in Italian):

1. Monti;
2. Trevi;
3. Colonna e Campo Marzio;
4. Ponte e Borgo;
5. Parione e Regola;
6. Sant'Eustachio e Pigna;
7. Campitelli, Sant'Angelo e Ripa);
8. Trastevere.

So the smaller rioni were united to the large ones. In this occasion the French affixed in each street a plate with its name and the areas it belonged to.

Today

Even after Napoleon lost his power, there were no sensible changes in the organization of the city, until Rome became the capital of the new born Italy. The needs of the new capital caused a great urbanization and an increase of the population, both within the Aurelian walls and outside them. In 1874 the rioni became 15 adding Esquilino, obtained taking a part from Monti. At the beginning of the 20th century some rioni started being split up and the first parts outside the Aurelian walls started being considered part of the city.

In 1921 the number of the rioni increased to 22. Prati was the last rione to be established and the only one outside the walls of Urbanus VIII.

The latest reform, which is still mostly valid, was made in 1972: Rome was divided in 20 circoscrizioni (later renamed municipi, one of which became later the independent municipality of Fiumicino) and all the 22 rioni (which together form the Centro Storico) constituted the first one, Municipio I.

The complete list of the modern rioni, in order of number, is the following:

Coat of Arms of the modern rioni

• Media related to Coats of Arms of Rome at Wikimedia Commons

I Monti	II Trevi	III Colonna	IV Campo Marzio
V Ponte	VI Parione	VII Regola	VIII Sant'Eustachio
IX Pigna	X Campitelli	XI Sant'Angelo	XII Ripa
XIII Trastevere	XIV Borgo	XV Esquilino	XVI Ludovisi
XVII Sallustiano	XVIII Castro Pretorio	XIX Celio	XX Testaccio
XXI San Saba	XXII Prati

See also

• Administrative subdivision of Rome
• Frazione
• Località
• Circoscrizione
• Rione
• Terziere
• Quartiere
• Sestiere
• Contrade

External links

• Media related to Districts of Rome at Wikimedia Commons
• Testaccio - Rione of Roma

Municipi of Rome Municipio I (List of Rioni) • Municipio II • Municipio III • Municipio IV • Municipio V • Municipio VI • Municipio VII • Municipio VIII • Municipio IX • Municipio X • Municipio XI • Municipio XII • Municipio XIII • Municipio XIV • Municipio XV • Municipio XVI • Municipio XVII • Municipio XVIII • Municipio XIX • Municipio XX