ACM at the heart of a changing Rome: Esquilino joins the world’s 10 coolest neighbourhoods

There is a neighbourhood in Rome where history, cultures, creativity and everyday life coexist within the same streets. Now, it is also recognised as one of the most exciting neighbourhoods in the world: Time Out has ranked Esquilino number 10 in “The 40 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World 2026”, published in September 2026.

The news has also been covered by Corriere della Sera and Wanted in Rome, highlighting the district’s authentic, multicultural identity, cultural energy, independent businesses and Piazza Vittorio’s role as a place for community and connection.

A campus that is part of the neighbourhood, not simply located in it

Right here, in the heart of Esquilino and just a few steps from Piazza Vittorio, stands the Rome MAS Campus of Accademia Costume & Moda, home to the Academy’s undergraduate programmes in the capital.

Opened in November 2024 inside the historic former Magazzini allo Statuto, the campus is the result of an extensive conservation-led restoration and urban regeneration project. A late nineteenth-century Umbertine building was brought back into active use and transformed into a contemporary hub for education across fashion, costume, communication, business and design.

Its relationship with Esquilino is embedded in the project itself. Large street-facing windows reveal studios, activities and creative processes, allowing the life of the Academy to enter into dialogue with the neighbourhood outside. The campus was conceived not as an enclosed institution, but as an open presence within the city.

Rome outside the window, Esquilino within the ACM experience

For ACM students, Rome is not simply the city in which they attend classes. It is a constant source of research and observation. With its layered languages, architecture, communities and cultures, Esquilino intensifies that experience: the neighbourhood becomes part of students’ everyday visual culture and of the way they learn to read the contemporary world.

Time Out’s recognition therefore offers an international perspective on a place with which Accademia Costume & Moda has chosen to build a tangible relationship: restoring a historic landmark, returning it to active use and opening it to a new generation of creatives.

Because a school can simply be based in a neighbourhood. Or it can choose to become part of it.

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