History

Medieval landholdings shaped the territory for centuries. The monastery of Sant’Alessio all’Aventino controlled significant assets from the 12th century onwards, including the districts of Bagnaia—possibly named after baths built by Pope Simmaco around 500 AD—and surrounding areas. By the early 20th century, the Torlonia family and heirs of Mariano Armellini held the major properties, alongside vineyards worked by the Roselli, Belardi, and Bellini families.

After the First World War, Rome underwent rapid urban expansion. The port project—conceived to serve as a commercial hub less than two hundred metres from the Aurelian walls—would have required a navigable canal parallel to the Tiber running to Ostia. Housing lots for future port workers would follow. Though the canal was never excavated, the district’s development proceeded. King Vittorio Emanuele III formally inaugurated Garbatella on 18 February 1920 in Piazza Benedetto Brin, with an inscription in the square’s central building commemorating the moment.

The district’s name remained contested until around 1930. Alternatives included Concordia—symbolising social peace—and Remuria, derived from a legend claiming Romulus founded Rome on this hill rather than the Palatine. The name Garbatella ultimately prevailed. In later years, families displaced by demolitions for via della Conciliazione and via dei Fori Imperiali were relocated here.