The Ripa Grande and The ‘Pilgrim’s Bank’
Title
Description
By the time Pope Leo IV (847-855) fortified Porta Portese (Rome's southernmost gate) with three defensive towers to combat Muslim pirates, the Ripa Grande (depicted on Antonio Tempesta's map of Rome, seen above) had emerged as one of Rome's premiere ports. Strategically located on the west bank of the Tiber River in Trastevere and tapping into the Mediterranean trade network, over the next three centuries the Ripa Grande grew into one of Rome's foremost commercial centers. As a consequence, the port revitalized the city's naval trade, which had waned after the abandonment of the ancient Marmorata port across the river during the 5th and 6th centuries. The port's principal imports included Greek and Spanish wine, grain, and oil, but rice, sugar, and luxury goods also passed through the port. From there, the commodities flooded into Trasteverine markets, as well as other marketplaces across the Tiber, such as the ancient Foro Boario near the Capitoline area of Rome.
Ripa Grande also played a central role in Christian pilgrimage routes to Rome in the medieval period. Travelling up the Tiber River from the port in Fiumicino, pilgrims poured into the Ripa Grande and, most likely, travelled along Via Lungaretta to visit Rome's sacred spaces. Overtime, and particularly during Jubilee years, the influx of pilgrims transformed the Ripa Grande from a lively urban neighborhood into a hectic hub of religious and commercial activity. For this reason, the Ripa Grande was appropriately nicknamed the "Pilgrim's bank."
Today, unfortunately, nothing remains of this important medieval site. The embankment project in 1880 led to the demolition of the port's ships, docks, and infrastructure. Nonetheless, key locations in the port's history remain intact. The Marmorata Port, for instance, has been remarkably well preserved on the left bank after its excavation in the late 19th century. Additionally, constructed into the Aurelian wall during the ancient period and frequently used during the medieval period, the Porta Portese on Via Portuense still stands. Most importantly, we may walk along the steps in front of the Institute of San Michele complex on Porto di Ripa Grande and imagine the galleys and rowboats that populated the Tiber River and this flourishing harbor, serving as an important reminder of this port's location and medieval past.
Abstract
Creator
Source
Krautheimer, Richard. Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308. Hong Kong: Princeton University Press.
"Ponte Sublicio." Informational panel, intersection at Via Marmorata and Lungotevere Testaccio, by MP Mirabilia.
Robbins, Deborah King. "A case study of medieval urban process: Rome's Trastevere (1250-1450)." Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, 1989.
Tempesta, Antonio. Plan of the City of Rome. From The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1645.
Identifier
Coverage
Spatial Coverage
Description
By the time Pope Leo IV (847-855) fortified Porta Portese (Rome's southernmost gate) with three defensive towers to combat Muslim pirates, the Ripa Grande (depicted on Antonio Tempesta's map of Rome, seen above) had emerged as one of Rome's premiere ports. Strategically located on the west bank of the Tiber River in Trastevere and tapping into the Mediterranean trade network, over the next three centuries the Ripa Grande grew into one of Rome's foremost commercial centers. As a consequence, the port revitalized the city's naval trade, which had waned after the abandonment of the ancient Marmorata port across the river during the 5th and 6th centuries. The port's principal imports included Greek and Spanish wine, grain, and oil, but rice, sugar, and luxury goods also passed through the port. From there, the commodities flooded into Trasteverine markets, as well as other marketplaces across the Tiber, such as the ancient Foro Boario near the Capitoline area of Rome.
Ripa Grande also played a central role in Christian pilgrimage routes to Rome in the medieval period. Travelling up the Tiber River from the port in Fiumicino, pilgrims poured into the Ripa Grande and, most likely, travelled along Via Lungaretta to visit Rome's sacred spaces. Overtime, and particularly during Jubilee years, the influx of pilgrims transformed the Ripa Grande from a lively urban neighborhood into a hectic hub of religious and commercial activity. For this reason, the Ripa Grande was appropriately nicknamed the "Pilgrim's bank."
Today, unfortunately, nothing remains of this important medieval site. The embankment project in 1880 led to the demolition of the port's ships, docks, and infrastructure. Nonetheless, key locations in the port's history remain intact. The Marmorata Port, for instance, has been remarkably well preserved on the left bank after its excavation in the late 19th century. Additionally, constructed into the Aurelian wall during the ancient period and frequently used during the medieval period, the Porta Portese on Via Portuense still stands. Most importantly, we may walk along the steps in front of the Institute of San Michele complex on Porto di Ripa Grande and imagine the galleys and rowboats that populated the Tiber River and this flourishing harbor, serving as an important reminder of this port's location and medieval past.
Creator
Nate Grein (2017)Coverage
800sSource
Krautheimer, Richard. Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308. Hong Kong: Princeton University Press.
"Ponte Sublicio." Informational panel, intersection at Via Marmorata and Lungotevere Testaccio, by MP Mirabilia.
Robbins, Deborah King. "A case study of medieval urban process: Rome's Trastevere (1250-1450)." Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, 1989.
Tempesta, Antonio. Plan of the City of Rome. From The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1645.