Rome


A journey to the heart of yesterday’s and today’s capital of cultures!

Rome, political capital of Italy, with an immense historical and cultural heritage has always been at the forefront of the migratory flows that went on to characterise the rest of the country.  Initially coming from the South of Italy and then from the rest of the world, these flows have contributed to the size of the city and reinforced its international character.  Almost all the world’s nationalities are present in Rome:  The first foreign migrants arrived from Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Maghreb countries, followed by immigrants from the Philippines in the 1980s and from China, Eastern Europe, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and South America in the 1990s. In the last decade, the Bangladeshi community has grown strongly.

As of 2012, thanks to the first feasibility studies and to the training of a small group of interested migrant citizens, Viaggi Solidali, in collaboration with Oxfam Italia has been able to organise approximately fifty tours for locals, tourists, visitors, schools and the plain curious.  Through the words of migrants we discover the hidden secrets, both small and large, and the contributions different cultures have made and are making in the city.

Routes

First tour: an intercultural walk in the Rione Esquilino
The first tour is an intecultural walk in Rione Esquilino to explore the shops, associations, places of worship, languages and histories of migrants living in Rome. Rione Esquilino is well known to people living in Rome – fun but also a place of political activism, challenging yet lively and industrious.  There is a market crammed full of strange products with unpronounceable names, streets of artisan shops and, most of all, people seen but rarely listened to. On the other hand, it was here in Esquilino that the Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio was born whose musicians bring the world to life in sound. The tour starts at the meeting place in front of the Porta Magica di Piazza Vittorio and makes the following stops on foot: the porticos of Piazza Vittorio, the Chinese Buddhist Temple, the Auditorium of Mecenate, the church of Sant’Alfonso, the Arco di Gallieno, the Mura Serviane, the Church of San Vito, the Islamic Centre and the Roman Aquarium before finishing at Nuovo Mercato Esquilino. The two-hour walk in Esquilino can be combined with a museum visit complementing the subject matter of the tour through exploration of the history of art of Roman migrants’ countries of origin, and key themes linked to migration.  We recommend in particular two thematic tours (China and Islam) organised by the Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale Giuseppe Tucci and the Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografic Luigi Pigorini. For more informations
Second tour: the district Torpignattara
A second tour relates instead to the neighbourhood of Torpignattara, not far from the city centre and one of the most densely populated areas of Rome, with a large presence of migrants, mostly Bangladeshi, who have reclaimed under-used and dilapidated spaces in the area (between the 1970s and 1990s, the area lost half of its residents due to its state of criminality and physical degradation). The main primary school “Carlo Pisacane” is a true multi-ethnic experiment and model for integration. The walk travels through the side-streets of Torpignattara where we will encounter small shops selling saris and other brightly coloured and embroidered garments and learn , with the help of the Bangladeshi women, how to wear them and what jewels go with them.   In a beauty centre we will learn about various natural recipes for personal care, make-up, and Mendhi and henna tattoos. We will visit small food shops catering for marriages and other ceremonies. Finally, we will meet the women of the Bangladesh Association for an exchange of women’s customs and traditions. For more informations 

Info

INDIVIDUAL TOURS to calendar with booking on-line

For more informations about Migrantour Rome:
martamarciniak@viaggisolidali.it +39 3336915356

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