Roman Cuisine in Testaccio

This walking tour traces the culinary history of the Testaccio neighborhood, a formerly working-class district known for its traditional Roman food, owed in large part to the (now retired) slaughterhouse that characterised the area from the end of the 18th century until the mid-1970s. With a prime location along the Tiber river, Testaccio was a hub of import and export activity during the Industrial Revolution, and the neighbourhood still clings proudly to that history as the area becomes ever more gentrified. We will explore the new Testaccio market, a recently constructed edifice just steps from the MACRO (Museum of Contemporary Art Roma), with stalls selling produce, meat, and cheese as well as food counters with excellent pizza by the slice, supplì, and more. At the old slaughterhouse, we will discuss the Roman affection for offal and other poor cuts of meat, before visiting bakeries and other food shops to taste local specialties.