Esquilino, around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II next to Termini station, is Rome's most multicultural central district, known for its market and immigrant-run shops alongside historic apartment blocks. It is the clearest documented hotspot in Municipio I: the Rome prefect signed an official "zona rossa" (red zone) ordinance in January 2025, giving police powers to issue urban bans against people with records for drug dealing, mugging or robbery across roughly fifteen named streets and Piazza Vittorio itself, later extended toward San Lorenzo and the Togliatti corridor. Throughout 2026, repeated police blitzes reported arrests for drug dealing, counterfeit goods and pickpocketing, and in January 2026 residents held a public protest over degrado and insecurity. Daytime brings market crowds and some pickpocketing/counterfeit-goods activity; the more serious, recurring issues are concentrated after dark.
Esquilino — Rome, Italy
🟡 Local-source safety assessment · 155 areas reviewed individually Methodology →
In detail
This link is already scoped to this area (not the whole city), using the neighbourhood's real coordinates.
Frequently asked questions
Is Esquilino safe?
Wandroz currently rates Esquilino in Rome as roughly average compared to other neighbourhoods in Rome during the day and an area where the data suggests extra caution relative to other neighbourhoods in Rome at night. This comes from a structured local-source assessment: an area-level review of credible local sources — local and national news, municipal and police-published material, and official surveys where they exist — consolidated across sources rather than taken from a single report. Rome publishes no comparable neighbourhood-level crime dataset; where a city does, Wandroz uses it instead.
Is Esquilino safe at night?
At night, Esquilino is rated as an area where the data suggests extra caution relative to other neighbourhoods in Rome. If you're unsure, it's worth checking recent local reviews for your specific street or block, since a neighbourhood-wide rating can't capture block-by-block variation.
Is Esquilino a good area to stay in as a tourist?
Esquilino's day rating (roughly average compared to other neighbourhoods in Rome) is the more relevant one for typical daytime tourist activity; check the night rating too if you'll be out late. The Booking.com link on this page searches Esquilino itself.
Is there official crime data for Esquilino?
Not an official government crime feed — Esquilino's rating comes from Wandroz's own current local/national press and survey research for this specific area instead (see the note on this page for what was checked and the sources used). An absence of recent negative coverage is treated as inconclusive, not as proof the area is safe. If you live in or know Esquilino well, you can suggest a correction using the link below.
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