The smallest of Rome’s rioni, Sant'Angelo is situated on the left bank of the river Tiber, at the height of the Isola Tiberina. It comprises the city’s Assyrian-Babylonian style synagogue (Tempio Maggiore), and the Jewish ghetto of Rome, which was established in 1555, the oldest in the world after that of Venice.
The area owes its name to the Church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria, formerly Sant'Agnolo Pescivendolo, which was located near the ancient fish market beneath the columns of the monumental portico d’Ottavia in the heart of the district.
To the north, the area is residential and characterized by narrow alleys, while the south is still home to a large Roman Jewish community with numerous businesses and restaurants offering traditional Roman Jewish cuisine.
Other significant places of interest include: the theatre of Marcellus (11 BC), the first city theatre dedicated to poetry and music; the crypta Balbi, now part of the National Roman Museum; and the fountain of the Turtles, which legend recounts was built in a single night by duke Mattei to amaze the man who would become his future father-in-law and obtain his daughter’s hand.
The area also features a range of cultural institutions, including the Institute of the Italian Encyclopaedia, the Central Institute for Sound and Audiovisual Heritage, the Centre for American Studies and the headquarters of the Universitas Mercatorum.
Roma Lazio Film Commission
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