Municipio I is an administrative subdivision of the municipality of Rome, encompassing the centre of the city.
It was first created by the City Council of Rome on 19 January 2001 and has a president who is elected every five years. On 11 March 2013 its borders were modified and it was expanded with the incorporation of the abolished Municipio XVII. Since then, all 22 rioni of Rome (the city's historic districts) form part of Municipio I, alongside the quarters of Prati, Della Vittoria, and parts of Trionfale (including the Eroi urban zone).
Subdivision Municipio I is divided into 11 urban zones: Urban zonePopulation 1A. Historical Centre 23,693 1B. Trastevere 13,447 1C. Aventino 8,251 1D. Testaccio 7,671 1E. Esquilino 33,017 1F. XX Settembre 8,796 1G. Celio 3,857 1X. Archeological Zone 763 17A. Prati 17,381 17B. Della Vittoria 25,151 17C. Eroi 18,917 Not localized<br/ > 4,491Total165,435
Rioni As many cities in Italy, the historic centre of Rome is also subdivided into 22 historical rioni, medieval subdivisions which survives today. Rione Coat of armsPopulation Rione Coat of armsPopulation 1 Monti 11,956 12 Ripa 2,477 2 Trevi 2,063 13 Trastevere 12,962 3 Colonna 1,898 14 Borgo 2,698 4 Campo Marzio 5,470 15 Esquilino 21,263 5 Ponte 3,375 16 Ludovisi 1,546 6 Parione 2,283 17 Sallustiano 2,191 7 Regola 3,017 18 Castro Pretorio 5,228 8 Sant'Eustachio 1,839 19 Celio 2,439 9 Pigna 2,624 20 Testaccio 7,563 10 Campitelli 515 21 San Saba 3,366 11 Sant'Angelo 990 22 Prati 14,631 Gallery
Municipal government
The area has its own local authority called (Municipal Council), composed by a president and 25 members directly elected by citizens every five years. The council is responsible for most local services, such as schools, social services, waste collection, roads, parks, libraries and local commerce in the area, and manages funds (if any) provided by the city government for specific purposes, such as those intended to guarantee the right to education for poorer families.
The current president is Lorenza Bonaccorsi (PD). She was elected in the 2021 Rome municipal election together with the 25-member Municipal Council, whose composition is shown below:
Alliance or political party Members 2021–2027 Centre-left (PD-SI-DemoS) 16 Centre-right (Lega-FdI) 5 Action (A) 3 Five Star Movement (M5S) 1
Here is a list of presidents of the Municipio I since 2001: President Party CoalitionTerm of office Giuseppe Lobefaro DL Centre-left 30 May 2001 15 April 2008 Orlando Corsetti PD Centre-left 15 April 2008 11 June 2013 Sabrina Alfonsi PD Centre-left 11 June 2013 18 October 2021 Lorenza Bonaccorsi PD Centre-left 18 October 2021 Incumbent
Geography
The area of the municipality occupies the central districts of the city, including the entire historic center enclosed by the Aurelian Walls and the Janiculum walls. Crossed by the Tiber, this historic core is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. The quarters built across the river in the late 19th and early 20th centuries between the Vatican Hill and Monte Mario — specifically Prati, and parts of Della Vittoria and Trionfale — are also within its borders.
The ancient heart of the municipality features the historic seven hills (Palatine, Aventine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, and Caelian), alongside the Janiculum, the Pincian Hill, and the artificial hillocks of Monte Testaccio and Monte Giordano. The Tiber Island also rises along the urban stretch of the river.
Piazzas As the historic core of Rome, Municipio I contains many of the world's most famous public squares, serving as vital cultural, political, and architectural landmarks:
Monumental and Historical Squares Piazza Navona – Built on the site of the 1st-century AD Stadium of Domitian, it is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture featuring Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Piazza di Spagna – Famous for the Spanish Steps rising to the Trinità dei Monti church and Bernini's Fontana della Barcaccia. Piazza del Popolo – A grand neoclassical square designed by Giuseppe Valadier, marking the northern entrance to the historic center through the Porta del Popolo. Piazza Venezia – The central geographic hub of Rome, dominated by the massive Vittoriano (Altare della Patria). Piazza della Rotonda – The lively square located directly in front of the Pantheon, featuring a central renaissance fountain and an ancient Egyptian obelisk. Piazza del Campidoglio – Located atop the Capitoline Hill, this renaissance square was designed entirely by Michelangelo and serves as the seat of Rome's municipal government. Piazza Colonna – Named after the ancient Column of Marcus Aurelius, it is the heart of Italian political life, bordered by Palazzo Chigi (the official residence of the Prime Minister).
Cultural and Social Hubs
Campo de' Fiori – A historic marketplace famous for its daily morning market and lively nightlife, centered around the bronze statue of philosopher Giordano Bruno. Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere – The social heart of the Trastevere rione, located in front of one of the city's oldest basilicas. Piazza del Quirinale – Located atop the Quirinal Hill, offering sweeping views of the city and hosting the Quirinal Palace, the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. Piazza di Trevi – The compact, bustling square famed entirely for housing the iconic Trevi Fountain. Piazza Barberini – A major urban square featuring Bernini's Triton Fountain, bridging the historic center with the Via Veneto district. Piazza Cavour – A large, elegant square located in the Prati quarter (added to the municipio in 2013), dominated by the monumental Palace of Justice (Corte di Cassazione).
Education The municipio hosts a high concentration of prominent secondary education institutions, including some of the oldest and most prestigious licei in Italy:
Upper secondary schools
Licei
Ennio Quirino Visconti Liceo Ginnasio – Located in Piazza del Collegio Romano, it is the oldest classical lyceum in Rome, established in 1871 inside the historic Collegio Romano building. Liceo classico Torquato Tasso – Located in Via Sicilia (Ludovisi rione), it is one of the city's most prestigious classical high schools. Liceo scientifico statale Camillo Cavour – Located in Via delle Carine (Monti rione), it was the first scientific high school established in Rome (1923). Liceo Ginnasio Statale Terenzio Mamiani – Located in Via delle Milizie. Liceo Ginnasio Statale Virgilio – Located in the historic Via Giulia, offering classical, scientific, and linguistic tracks. Liceo Classico Pilo Albertelli – Located in Via Daniele Manin, near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Liceo Artistico Ripetta – Located in Via di Ripetta, a historic fine-arts high school tracing its origins back to the 19th century. Liceo Statale Niccolò Machiavelli – Headquartered in Piazza dell'Indipendenza, specializing in foreign languages and human sciences. Liceo Talete – Located in Via Federigo Enriques (Prati area), specializing in scientific studies. Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II – Located in Piazza Monte Grappa, a historic boarding school complex hosting a classical lyceum and a scientific lyceum (including an international Chinese-language track).
Technical and Vocational Institutes ITIS Galileo Galilei – Located in Via Conte Verde (Esquilino rione), a major state industrial and technological institute. Istituto d'Istruzione Superior De Amicis - Cattaneo – Located in Via Luigi Galvani (Testaccio rione), offering vocational paths in craftsmanship, health-social services, and optics. Istituto Tecnico per il Turismo Cristoforo Colombo – Located in Via Panisperna (Monti rione), specializing in tourism and commercial industries. IISS Leonardo Da Vinci – Located in Via Cavour, offering economic, administrative, and technological curricula.
International and Private Schools St. Stephen's International School – A private, co-educational American international school located in Via Aventina. Liceo Spagnolo Cervantes – Located on the Janiculum hill (Via di Porta San Pancrazio), an international school administered directly by the Spanish Ministry of Education. Liceo Renzo Levi – Located in Via del Portico d'Ottavia within the historic Roman Ghetto, a private Jewish school offering scientific and linguistic high school tracks.
Higher education The municipio contains a dense concentration of higher education institutions, ranging from major public university faculties to prestigious international pontifical universities and fine-arts academies:
Public and Private Universities Sapienza University of Rome – While the main campus (Città Universitaria) is in Municipio II, several historical faculties are based in Municipio I, including the Faculty of Architecture in Piazza Borghese and Via Ripetta, and the Faculty of Engineering in Via Eudossiana near San Pietro in Vincoli. Roma Tre University – The university operates its specialized School of Architecture inside the former slaughterhouse complex (Ex Mattatoio) in the Testaccio rione. Link Campus University – A private university headquartered in the historic complex of Casale San Pio V near the western boundary of the district.
Pontifical Universities
Due to its immediate proximity to the Vatican City, Municipio I hosts the headquarters of many world-renowned Catholic pontifical universities: Pontifical Gregorian University – Located in Piazza della Pilotta, it is the oldest Jesuit university in the world. Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) – Located in Largo Angelicum on the Quirinal Hill, run by the Dominican Order. Pontifical Urban University – Located on the Janiculum Hill, dedicated to training missionary clergy. Pontifical University of the Holy Cross – Located in Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, near Piazza Navona. Pontifical University Antonianum – Located in Via Merulana, managed by the Franciscan Friars Minor.
Academies of Fine Arts and Music (AFAM) Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma – Located in the historic Via di Ripetta, it is one of Italy's premier public academies of fine arts. Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia – Located in Via dei Greci, it is Rome's historic state music conservatory, occupying the premises of the former convent of the Ursulines. Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico – Headquartered in Via Vincenzo Bellini, it maintains its historic study centers and theater halls within the central district. Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche (ISIA Roma) – Located in Piazza della Maddalena, specializing in industrial design.
Culture Libraries
Here is a list of public libraries run by the Municipal Council of Municipio I: Casa delle Letterature – Located in Piazza dell'Orologio, it is dedicated to 20th-century and contemporary literature. Casa della Memoria e della Storia – Located in Via di San Francesco di Sales (Trastevere), focused on the history of the 20th century, fascism, the resistance, and the liberation of Rome. Casa delle Traduzioni – Located in Via degli Avignonesi, it specializes in translation studies and promotes the translation of Italian literature abroad. Centrale Ragazzi – Located in Via di San Paolo alla Regola, it is the central public library specifically dedicated to children and young adults. Enzo Tortora – Located in Via di Porta Portese, a multifunctional cultural center and public library. Giordano Bruno – Located in Via Giordano Bruno (Prati district), serving the northern part of the municipal territory. Romana Sarti – Located in Piazza dell'Accademia di San Luca, specialized in art and architecture history.
Museums