The Esquilino is one of the hills, the higher and the wider, where Rome was established.

There are many interpretations about the derivation of the name: someone thinks that it come from the word aexquilae ( a Latin term, meaning "those living outside", to distinguish them from inquilini, who lived in the City ), someone else from aesculi, holm oak shrubs beloved by Jupiter ( to whom was dedicated a temple on the mount ), others from excubiae, who were guards sent by Romolo to defend Rome from Tito Tazio's attacks.

The mount is constituted by three hills: the Oppio, the Fagutal and the Cispio, where rises the famous Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore that was detracted to the Rione Monti ( Monti District) in 1921, when the modern Esquilino District, easily reachabel by the Termini Station, was created.

However, is important not to confuse between the Esquilino hill and its administrative entity: in fact this one occupies the north-east part of the mount, and the remaining area is taken up by the ancient Monti District.

First settlement in the Esquilino quarter date back to VIIIth century b.C. When inhabitants built an "outskirt" of the City, as is showed by the necropolis of VIIIth or VIIth century b.C. Retrieved.

The urbanization continued through centuries, also if the area was used for a very long time as a dumping ground: only the Emperor August built an embankment that buried those polluted and noxious lands and, instead of the dump, there rose magnificent and famous Orti di Mecenate ( of which the Mecenate's Amphitheatre, found in 1874, was part ).

Until the late Empire, in the Esquilino were built villas ( called Horti ) and cloisters, and in the XVIIth century in this area were built the Alchemy Door, still visible, sited in the Gardens of the Vittorio Emanuele II Square.

However, the touris places in the area have almost been stifled by the urbanization of the late XIXth century where many quarters rose quickly ( also if in an extremely arranged and regulare way ) for the new clerical middle class.

For its nearness to many industrial infrastructures and inspite of a good offer about hotels, Esquilino often isn't inserted in tourist circuit, that generally use to show the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica and the Termini Station.