District Centro Storico – the neighbourhoods of San Saba, Ripa, Campitelli, Celio (± 5.5 km)

This walk past a number of Romanesque campanili (bell towers) of Rome goes through the Centro Storico.It will take about 1 hour 45 minutes, not counting time for viewing and other breaks. Starting point is the Piazza Gian Lorenzo Bernini on the southern slope of the Aventine hill.The story of the Romanesque campanili of Rome is a special one. Almost all of them were built in the 12th century (probably within an 80 years' period) next to churches that were much older (but generally were subsequently reconstructed in later styles). Many of the campanili are not attached to their churches.The campanili are nearly all that remains of Romanesque building in Rome, with the exception of some splendid Romanesque chiostri (cloisters): San Paolo fuori le Mura, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Santi Quattro Coronati, Santa Sabina and San Giovanni in Laterano. The Romanesque apse of Santi Giovanni e Paolo also is noteworthy.Among the Italian Romanesque campanili the Roman ones form a group of their own. With their characteristic features they are only found in Rome and its surroundings.The photographs and information for this walk were adapted from Campanili romanici di Roma, Romanesque bell towers in Rome by Dolf Middelhoff, Jurjen Keessen and Irene Stellingwerff, which, unfortunately, is only available in Dutch. (www.dolfkalenders.nl)