Tag: neighborhoods (24 total)
The Piazza Navona
The Piazza Navona is placed just west of the Pantheon. Today it is a bustling hub for both tourists and locals alike, with restaurants and bars lining the edges to provide a pleasant outdoor dining experience. However the piazza was not always the…
A French Gothic Ciborium in an Italian Medieval City
Upon entering Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, one’s eyes are attracted to the large carved stone structure that appears to compliment the apse’s mosaic. This structure is a ciborium and is one of the well-known creations of the sculptor Arnolfo di…
San Crisogono
The church of San Crisogono, located near the Tiber River on the Via della Lungaretta, was constructed in 1123 by Cardinal John of Crema. This 12th century church rests, however, on the structure of a 4th century Christian church, the original San…
San Giorgio in Velabro
Built in the 7th century upon a 5th century deaconry, which in turn was built over a complex from the 3rd century, the Chiesa di San Giorgio in Velabro has an irregular layout. The church was completed under Pope Leo II (611-683 C.E.), who dedicated…
The Tomb of Alfanus at Santa Maria in Cosmedin
The Tomb of Alfanus is located on the porch of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Attributed to a wealthy, twelfth-century noble, this tomb is one of the best examples of twelfth-century tombs in Rome. Although perhaps unremarkable to the untrained eye, John…
The Column of Flagellation at the Basilica di Santa Prassede
Upon entering the San Zeno Chapel, located in the Basilica di Santa Prassede, a dark marble object, spotted with white, lies in a niche to the right (Figure 1). The object appears to be an oddly large chess piece, but is allegedly the column upon…
The Heart of Medieval Rome
As the city of Rome regained both population and prominence in the late middle ages, built up areas that had retained population slowly linked together to form a single coherent inhabited area that became known as the abitato, or inhabited area. The…
Columns and Colonnades as Spolia
The house at this site presents an intersection of medieval and ancient Rome. The colonnaded portico, clearly distinct from the otherwise modern appearance of the house's exterior, is an excellent example showing the practice of using ancient marble…
Bramante's Tempietto
On top of the Gianicolo Hill (also known as the Janiculum) in Trastevere sits San Pietro in Monotorio, built most likely by Baccio Pontelli. Inside a small courtyard Bramante’s high renaissance architectural masterpiece, The Tempietto (1502-1510),…
A Hole in the Walls: The Hospital-cum-Monastery at San Tommaso in Formis
Perched about halfway up the Caelian Hill is San Tomasso in Formis, built into the side of the Aqua Claudia. The history of the complex largely begins with John of Matha, a Provencal priest. Shortly after his ordination, he was inspired to found a…
The Acqua Paola: Roman Remains in a Baroque Landscape
Overlooking a beautiful view of Rome, the Acqua Paola is an imposing structure that dominates the hillside between San Pietro in Montorio and the Piazza Garibaldi. But this fountain sits on top of the remnants of a long history of Roman waterways.…
Santa Maria in Porta Paradisi
The Chiesa di Santa Maria in Porta Paradisi, located in the Campo Marzio district and in existence since the 9th century, was rebuilt and given its name in 1523 as part of the extension of an adjoining hospital, which in turn was part of the…
The Medieval Circus Maximus
At one end of the Circus Maximus stands a small tower, which tips us off to the fact that this area during the medieval period was a predominantly agricultural area, controlled by prominent families. Called the Tower of Moletta, the tower was likely…
Teatro di Marcello
Approaching the Teatro di Marcello from the northern portion of the Via del Teatro di Marcello, or perhaps from the Piazza Venezia, it is hard to see anything but the ancient structure, if one does not notice the third and fourth floors. Yet…
In Search of Jewish Temple Relics: the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran and the Arch of Titus
During the middle ages, it was popularly believed by both Jews and Christians that relics from Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem were housed in the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Benjamin of Tudela, a twelfth century Jewish visitor to Rome, reports…
The Last Judgement by Pietro Cavallini
The painting is currently located on the inner façade of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, right above the entrance. The Last Judgement scene was first made to occupy the entire east wall, opposite to the west apse. However, it was later covered up by…
Restoration and Remembrance at the Basilica of San Crisogono
According to Richard Krautheimer, by 312 CE, approximately one third of the Roman population was Christian or sympathetic to the Christian cause. This is a powerful statistic that, he argues, defines the early history of the Basilica of San…
Via Della Lungara: The Walled Long Road of Trastevere
Via Della Lungara has a long history of important constructions in Trastevere, particularly along the walls at the location of the Porta Settimiana. The walls of Via Della Lungara extends from the former Aurelian walls, which once served as…
Thinking About Race in Medieval Rome: The San Tommaso Moasaic
In 1193, Jean de Matha, a French priest, had a vision of Christ grasping two men by the arm: one white and the other black. This vision inspired him to create the Trinitarian order, whose goal it was to free Christian captives from their Muslim…
Santa Maria in Cappella and Its Neighborhood Around
This is a typical parish church in the densest settlement in between the river and Via della Lungaretta. It is in a prevailing style with an arcaded narthex extends along the façade, a campanile rises within it. The period of eleventh and twelfth…
Christ between Two Captives at San Tommasso in Formis: Can Crusader Captives be Saved from behind Monastic Walls?
This unique mosaic is positioned over the entrance of San Tommaso in Formis, a small church located on the Caelian Hill, a hotbed of medieval-era ecclesiastical sites. The artwork is a legacy of San Tommaso’s Trinitarian heritage. After a dream of…
The Medieval San Cosimato Portico
Near the Piazza S. Cosimato, a medieval portico juts out from the sides of a nondescript building. The portico leads to the outdoor atrium of the church of San Cosimato, a part of the former Monastery of S. Cosimato. San Cosimato began as a…
Ospedale di Santo Spirito
A notable setting for Pope Innocent III’s “physical piety,” the Ospedale di Santo Spirito served many functions beyond healing the sick. The hospital also served as a hostel, an orphanage, a maternity ward, and place for fallen women to redeem their…
San Saba: A Spiritual Outpost in the Disabitato
Established as a monastery in the 7th century by Palestinian monks who had fled Jerusalem, the current church structure of San Saba dates to the 12th century but has undergone numerous renovations and restorations throughout its history. Between the…