San Saba

San Saba is the 21st of Rome, identified by the initials R. XXI. It is located within the Municipio I, and takes its name from the Basilica of San Saba, which is located there. History The church of San Saba and the attached monastery, which after the fall of the Roman Empire have been for centuries the only populated settlement in the area, were built by some hermits between 7th and 9th century. The monastery soon became a powerful and lively institution, with many properties and an advanced diplomatic activity that made it influential in Constantinople and among the barbarians. At the beginning of 20th century the church and the monastery were still surrounded by the countryside, and the 1909 town plan led to the urbanization of the area. Between 1907 and 1914 the Municipality commissioned the construction of a public housing complex for the clerical middle class, between the church and the Aurelian Walls to the Istituto Case Popolari. The planning was entrusted to the young architect Quadrio Pirani and the wide, tree-lined roads were named after prominent architects and artists. The public houses are semi-detached houses and little apartment blocks, with no more than 4 floors, each covered with bricks whose color evokes the ancient walls of the monastery. Positioned on the level top of the Aventine Hill, the rione is crossed by rises and steps declining to the walls or to Testaccio.