Pietralata was a conspicuous estate of the Agro Romano, with an extension of about 2,150 hectares, stretching from Via Tiburtina to Via Nomentana: the estate included the Sant'Agnese valley, outside Porta Nomentana, and the Portonaccio hills, reaching the river Aniene and the Casal de' Pazzi farmstead, and also including the castle of Pietralata, built on the ruins of an ancient Roman villa.

This resistance episode influenced the social identity of the inhabitants of quarter that, being basically isolated from the center of the city, found in the church (particularly the Congregation of Sacramentine Sisters, which had a prominent role in schooling) and in the PCI their main references.

The poor situation of the quarter was depicted in several books, such as Elsa Morante's History, Pier Paolo Pasolini's Una vita violenta, Alberto Moravia's Racconti romani and Albino Bernardini's Un anno a Pietralata, which was adapted into a film, Diario di un maestro, by Vittorio De Seta.

In 1998, retrieving some of the funds initially assigned to the Rome Metro, the mayor Francesco Rutelli promoted the creation of a piazza on a plot of land that was previously a landfill.

Eastward, Pietralata borders with Zona Tor Cervara (Z. VII), whose boundary is outlined by a short stretch of Via Tiburtina, between the river Aniene and Via Palmiro Togliatti.

Westward, the quarter borders with Quartiere Nomentano (Q. V), whose boundary is marked by Via Masaniello, Piazzale della Stazione Tiburtina and Circonvallazione Nomentana, up to the river Aniene.