Trastevere

Rome -- medieval

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Praelocutio

Trastevere, (pronounced: traˈsteːvere) is the western most region of Rome within the Aurelian Walls. Its name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, meaning literally "beyond the Tiber". Its logo is a golden head of a lion on a red background, the meaning of which is uncertain. To the north, Trastevere borders the Civitas Leonina, later called the Borgo. See: Region XIV -- Insula Tiberina (Also technically a part of the Trastevere)

Historia

In Rome's Regal period (753–509 BC), the area across the Tiber belonged to the hostile Etruscans: the Romans named it Ripa Etrusca (Etruscan bank). Rome conquered it to gain control of and access to the river from both banks, but was not interested in building on that side of the river. In fact, the only connection between Trastevere and the rest of the city was a small wooden bridge called the Pons Sublicius (Latin: "bridge built on wooden piles").

By the time of the Republic c. 509 BC, the number of sailors and fishermen making a living from the river had increased, and many had taken up residence in Trastevere. Immigrants from the East also settled there, mainly Jews and Syrians. The area began to be considered part of the city under Augustus, who divided Rome into 14 regions (regiones in Latin); modern Trastevere was the XIV and was called Trans Tiberim.

Since the end of the Roman Republic the quarter was also the center of an important Jewish community, which inhabited there until the end of the Middle Ages.

With the wealth of the Imperial Age, several important figures decided to build their villae in Trastevere, including Clodia, (Catullus' "friend") and Julius Caesar (his garden villa, the Horti Caesaris). The regio included two of the most ancient churches in Rome, the Titulus Callixti, later called the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, and the Titulus Cecilae, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.

In order to have a stronghold on the right Bank and to control the Gianicolo hill, Transtiberim was partially included by Emperor Aurelian (270–275) inside the wall erected to defend the city against the Germanic tribes.

In the Middle Ages Trastevere had narrow, winding, irregular streets; moreover, because of the mignani (structures on the front of buildings) there was no space for carriages to pass. At the end of the 15th century these mignani were removed. Nevertheless, Trastevere remained a maze of narrow streets. There was a strong contrast between the large, opulent houses of the upper classes and the small, dilapidated houses of the poor. The streets had no pavement until the time of Sixtus IV at the end of the 15th century. At first bricks were used, but these were later replaced by sampietrini (cobble stones), which were more suitable for carriages. Thanks to its partial isolation (it was "beyond the Tiber") and to the fact that its population had been multicultural since the ancient Roman period, the inhabitants of Trastevere, called Trasteverini, developed a culture of their own. In 1744 Benedict XIV modified the borders of the rioni, giving Trastevere its modern limits.

Locorum

• -- Aurelian Walls {fortification}
• -- Gianicolo hill {landmark}
• -- Pons Sublicius {bridge}
• -- River Tiber {landmark}
• -- Horti Caesaris {ruins}
• -- Villa Clodia {merchants home} [Marcius Cremaschi]
• -- Titulus Callixti (Basilica di Santa Maria) {church}
• -- Titulus Cecilae (Santa Cecilia) {church}

Dominus

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Cainites of Rome came to see the Trans Tiberim as a no-man's-land where opposing parties could meet on neutral ground. Later still, during the early medieval period, it became a place where unruly neonates could hunt without the need for permission and where they could gather in secret. At the dawn of the 12th century, the Trans-Tiberim (now called Trastevere) is a full medieval ghetto and its Cainite residents are a loose collection of the Caitiff (clanless) and Low Clan rabble who value their freedom over any allegiances or authorities. The most powerful of the Pupilli Nocturna (Orphans of the Night) is the rebellious Caitiff ancilla Rex Vermes (King of Vermin) who serves as the orphan's first-among-equals.

But in the summer of 1094, the aging Augustus Constantius names a Toreador neonate named Genghis Tiro (Cengiz) as the region's dominus, thus igniting a multilateral struggle for Trastevere.

Vagos: Pupilli Nocturna

• Rex Vermes (King of Vermin) -- Leader of the Orphans of the Night {Caitiff?}
• Restewin -- Estranged childe of Father Iago and lover of Rex Vermes {Malkavian}
• Tacitus -- A member of the Orphans slain by Eadwulf in the Trans-Tiberum, June of 1094. {deceased -- Gangrel}
• Camillo -- Former sailor
• Santuzza -- Former prostitute

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