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Street Art in Rome

Millions of people visit Rome every year and see the historic centre. It is absolutely stunning and so worth the time but if you move a little from Central Rome and explore Rome in a unique way, there are many other things to do too! For instance, I took a Street Art Tour in Rome with PersonalizedItaly and think that was one of the best ways to see another side of Rome I wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

Street Art in Rome

Rome has street art across the city but there are two neighborhoods that stand out when it comes to graffiti and art. The most prevalent areas are highlighted below:

OSTIENSE:

Ostiense is a neighborhood in the Eternal City that is popular because of the Pyramid of Cestius. Although not many people flock to this side of Rome, Ostiense is easy to get to and highly accessible from Rome Termini (there is a direct metro line!).

With PersonalizedItaly, I stopped in Ostiense to first see the modern office of Cartoon Network. The building is super striking and cute, the murals are life like. It is a unique experience to walk around and see this side of Rome.

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Cartoon Network Office, Ostiense

Right opposite the Cartoon Network building is a “Wall of Fame” on Via dei Magazzini Generali. This includes murals and art of some of the top artists and celebrities! Some famous personalities on this wall include Frida Kahlo, Ray Charles, Dante Alighieri and Jimi Hendrix.

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Wall of Fame, Ostiense

 

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Frida Kahlo and me

 

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Wall of Fame on Via dei Magazzini Generali 

 

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Via dei Magazzini Generali, Ostiense

Another eye catching Street Art in Rome and one that is VERY popular is this colored graffiti done by the artist BLU. This huge panoramic street art is on Ostiense’s Via del Porto Fluviale and is the most prominent street art I have ever seen after Lodhi’s Colony street art in Delhi.

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Colored murals in Ostiense

PIGNETO:

After Ostiense neighborhood, we visited the area of Pigneto where much of the bulk of Rome’s Street Art is honestly. Pigneto happens to be the neighborhood of the Italian Director Pier Paolo Pasolini who was in love with the area. Many street artists have therefore captured the visionary all along Via Fanfulla da Lodi

For instance, Pasolini’s face behind this superhero image below is homage to a famous article he once wrote for a newspaper. The article was titled “Io so i nomi” (I know the names) and the same is reflected on the mural as well.

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Pasolini depicted as a superhero

 

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Pasolini’s famous eye

Another eye catching street art is that of actress Margherita Caruso who played the young Virgin Mary in Pier Pasolini’s film “Il vangelo secondo Matteo” (The gospel according to Matthew).

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Margherita Caruso in Pigneto

 

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Pasolini is everywhere

 

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Pigneto’s details

All in all, visiting these two Roman neighborhoods to see the Street Art was one of the best things I did with PersonalizedItaly & Linda from The Beehive. This was part of the Blog Tour called “WINTERINROME”.

What did you think of the street art?? Do you like it??

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43 Comments

  • Happy Birthday Rome! – Italophilia
    July 21, 2020 at 11:54 am

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  • Over By There
    April 3, 2018 at 2:53 am

    Love seeing how different countries go about street art. I’m based in Bristol and we have a bear statue (in the Bearpit) that’s the spitting image of your picture!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      April 3, 2018 at 11:12 am

      🙂 So cool to know!

      Reply
  • Theskinflintphilosopher
    March 21, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    Great images. We are going to be passing through Rome in a few weeks time so I shall have to play I Spy and see if I can track any of these down!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 21, 2018 at 3:21 pm

      I hope you can 🙂 Just visit this neighborhood and walk around. There is so much!

      Reply
  • pblevitt
    March 19, 2018 at 6:01 am

    Thank you for a more offbeat look into what Rome has to offer.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 19, 2018 at 7:13 am

      Grazie cara 🙂

      Reply
  • LuLu B - Calabrisella Mia
    March 18, 2018 at 1:39 am

    I adore street art! The Wall of Fame is amazing! There is some interesting street art here in Cosenza but not on this level. There is a seaside town called Diamante which is known as the city of murales, it’s quite interesting!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 18, 2018 at 11:16 pm

      Thank you! Your comments are always so encouraging 🧡🧡

      Reply
    • Ishita
      March 18, 2018 at 11:16 pm

      I’ll check the town you mentioned 🙂

      Reply
  • aesha thakur
    March 16, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    Loved seeing these💕
    Some people are so talented. 😀
    Great pics,Ishita 👍🏽😘

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 16, 2018 at 9:02 pm

      Seriously !! So talented! Thank you x

      Reply
  • Tony Staffaroni
    March 16, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    That art is really impressive and best of all, it is free to see and gets you to other parts of the city! I love it!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 16, 2018 at 7:40 pm

      Exactly. All you need to do is take the metro to Ostiense 😉

      Reply
  • HelsinkiBudapest
    March 16, 2018 at 3:29 am

    This is really amazing!

    Reply
  • Pooja Thapliyal
    March 15, 2018 at 6:17 pm

    Looks totally hip . Thumps up 👍

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2018 at 8:10 pm

      Thanks Pooja 🙂

      Reply
  • thewonderer86
    March 14, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    I love street art. It makes a statement and is inclusive. Great post.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 14, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  • karenincalabria
    March 13, 2018 at 11:25 pm

    Good idea for a post, because sometimes old buildings can get, well, old. As to your question, I do like street art and I just want to say that there’s such a difference between street art and tagging, which I hate, and people too often try to blur that line in their interpretation of said vandalism.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 13, 2018 at 11:30 pm

      What do you mean by tagging?? Sorry I couldn’t understand. Thank you for your comment. I love this side of Rome. Everyone isn’t into history and architecture so maybe they can see this

      Reply
      • karenincalabria
        March 14, 2018 at 12:35 am

        I was referring to the type of graffiti that you see all over cities that was started by gangs where they “initial” their turf with their characteristic sign. You know, when I read your response, I realized that the word “tagging” is probably used more now on social media than in this urban context.

        Reply
        • Ishita
          March 14, 2018 at 12:47 am

          Hahaa yes .. You got it! That is why I was wondering but I understood your point. Thanks for explaining back.

          Reply
        • Ishita
          March 14, 2018 at 1:03 am

          Strange thing happened. I was following you until a few days back and now it shows me the follow button!? I have no idea when the unfollow happened because I don’t remember doing it

          Reply
          • karenincalabria
            March 14, 2018 at 5:33 am

            That’s strange. You’re the second person to tell me that. I’m sorry about that. I honestly don’t know how everything seems to work most of the time (tocca ferro). And I know that there will come the day when I need computer help on my website – actually, the day has come and gone, but I keep putting it off… Thanks for hanging in there!

            Reply
            • Ishita
              March 14, 2018 at 12:40 pm

              I think its happening to me too. Someone I know recently followed me again and he hadn’t unfollowed me and we were surprised too!Don’t worry I understand. And yes get your computer work fixed!

              Reply
  • Abigail Stark
    March 13, 2018 at 9:41 pm

    I love this post, Ishita! Roman street art is is special and a nice diversion from the typical tourist attractions. Well done!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 13, 2018 at 10:41 pm

      Hey thanks! 🙂 I’m sure there’s a lot in other neighborhoods yet to be explored

      Reply
  • france55
    March 13, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Amazing artwork. I bet there is more of this since I visited Rome in 2003….

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 13, 2018 at 10:41 pm

      Definitely a lot 💙💙

      Reply
  • bravenora1993
    March 13, 2018 at 6:02 pm

    Street Art is very well known and has become a global phenomenon in a few years. From the canvas, this new generation of urban artists has passed to the walls and I do not mean the usual frescoes, so a step forward but also backwards. It is a new form of visual expressiveness but above all artistic and also communicative. There are many neighborhoods in Rome where you can admire the Street Art. However, Ostiense is the most emblematic place and there have not yet been episodes like in New York where they repainted the buildings of a neighborhood famous for its Street Art. I am glad that you could see this “different” Rome.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 13, 2018 at 10:41 pm

      Thanks for explaining!! Ostiense is special..thanks! And of course I know it’s very well known 🙂

      Reply
  • a mindful traveler
    March 13, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    Nice capture, it’s always interesting to see different countries takes on street art. My fav is the cartoon one! Xx

    Reply
  • The Wayfarer
    March 13, 2018 at 5:18 pm

    I love it! These are some beautiful pieces.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 13, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      Thank you so much dear!

      Reply
  • Manja Mexi Movie
    March 13, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    Yes, yes, I do love it, and I have already acquired maps and addresses to do a proper tour of Rome’s street art one day. For now I have only seen some of that in Ostiense. Did you go to some other districts as well and you are saving it for another post? 🙂 I was there but didn’t know to look for either the Cartoon Network or the Wall of Fame. Next time. 🙂 I saw the portraits of Keats and Shelley near the Non-Catholic Cemetery though.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 13, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      🙂 When are you planning to visit?? It would be so cool to read your take on this. I haven’t seen the others but I have saved them for next time 😉 There were a few in Testaccio that I saw last year.

      Reply
      • Manja Mexi Movie
        March 13, 2018 at 4:18 pm

        Oh, I come to Rome once a month or so, amore’s father lives there. I’ll choose a dry and not too hot day to get out of the centre and search. 🙂 Here is an article on it that I’ve saved:
        https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/street-art-in-rome-3.html

        Reply
        • Ishita
          March 13, 2018 at 4:24 pm

          Oh I thought you lived in Rome. Sorry for the confusion. I read this article last month before my tour 😛 Quite the geek I am

          Reply
          • Manja Mexi Movie
            March 13, 2018 at 4:32 pm

            Hehe, good. No, I live in the south of Tuscany, 1h40 min northwest by train/car. From your photos I love the most the eye of Pasolini, the door and that girl with Lasciare libero passagio. 🙂

            Reply

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