{"id":1889,"date":"2019-11-22T07:06:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T07:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/?p=1889"},"modified":"2019-11-22T07:57:33","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T07:57:33","slug":"ex-mattatoio-through-the-roman-slaughterhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/ex-mattatoio-through-the-roman-slaughterhouse","title":{"rendered":"Ex Mattatoio: Through the Roman Slaughterhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You might know of Rome as the Eternal City\nwith a glorious past but there are a myriad of mysteries buried within it which\neven the locals are rarely aware of.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rome is undoubtedly a gallery of\nmasterpieces, studded with the precious paintings and artworks from the\nRenaissance period. Among numerous other tourist destinations within the city\nlimits, a visit to the Colosseum, Tours of the Roman Forum<\/strong> <\/a>and Vatican City tours<\/strong> <\/a>are simply\noutstanding! The gurgling fountains and magnificent piazzas join in to\noffer refreshing breaks throughout your wholesome visit of Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, aside from the \u201cmust-sees\u201d of the\ncity, there are countless places and charming neighbourhoods that will leave\nyou spellbound. One such place is the lesser-known Ex Mattatoio.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ex Mattatoio and its Past<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You might have already heard of Testaccio,\nbut do you know it is home to what used to be the largest slaughterhouse in all\nof Europe?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piazza del Poppolo, the centre of Rome, was\nonce a popular place for meat. However, with the rapid rise of the overall\npopulation of the city, the demand for meat increased. Moreover, a\nslaughterhouse in the centre was deemed unfit by many. This led to the\ninauguration of the Mattatoio in 1890, which was then considerably larger and\ntowards the outskirts of the city. This was not an inconvenient location for a\nslaughterhouse: it was not too far from the city center and, incidentally, it\nwas in proximity to the meandering river Tiber. This proved wonderful for the\ncontemporary Romans, who could easily import livestock in exchange for the meat\nproducts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Construction and the Regular Business in Ex Mattatoio<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ex Mattatoio was planned precisely, with\ndedicated sections for each kind of meat. Pork, veal, sheep and goat meat each\nenjoyed their own section.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was equipped with advanced machinery,\nsuch as the large meat hooks that carried the carcasses of the animals throughout\nthe complex, which reduced issues of handling and contamination. There was even\nan on-site microbiology lab for the analysis of meats to maintain the overall\nquality of the meat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the location was decided\nstrategically, it was not near any residential area. Hence, it was difficult\nfor the workers to come and go each day. So, a box-shaped public housing with\ncommunal courtyards was built as a place where the workers could live in.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workers of the slaughterhouse were\ngenerally very poor and but they were not denied the meat they handled\nregularly. Wages in-kind were common those days. They were given the offal,\nknown in Italian asquinto quarto <\/em>or\nfifth quarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The District as it Now Stands<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At its peak, Testaccio\u2019s slaughterhouse was\nthe largest in Europe. It was also one of the most technologically advanced\nslaughterhouses. However, the place was decommissioned in 1975 and continued to\nbe vacant for many years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However the middle-class neighorhood\ncontinued to thrive. Though much of the space remains empty now and shut off\nfrom public viewing, a part of it is used as a contemporary space for arts,\nwhile another part of the building turned into a school of architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citt\u00e0dall\u2019altraEconomia is the place\nlocated behind the main building where the animals enjoyed their limited\nfreedom in pens. Now you will find a hipster bicycle shop and an organic market\nin the wide open space. Besides, you can also be a part of the regular events like\nvinyl record sales, food carnivals, beer festivals and more.\n\nIt is interesting how Ex Mattatoio has\ntransformed from being a slaughterhouse to a place of heritage and it will be\ninteresting to see how it continues to be used in the future.\nSo, hurry up and book the best family tours in Rome<\/strong><\/a> and explore SECRET ROME: A GUIDE TO THE CITY\u2019S MOST\nOFFBEAT PLACES<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ ALSO OUR NEW UPDATES<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n