Via Della Lungara: The Walled Long Road of Trastevere
Title
Description
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 extend from the former Aurelian walls, which once served as fortification to the then smaller Trastevere district. The walls ended at the gate Porta Settimiana, which was built in the third century by the Roman Emperor Aurelian. The Porta Settimiana was destroyed and rebuilt in the beginning and end of the 15th century, and it still stands today as the entrance to the “Long Road”.
The urban processes of Via Della Lungara, containing important buildings and constructions that lie along its walls, was especially important at the end of the Middle Ages in the early and late 15th century. The street initially served as a connecting road to St. Peter’s Basilica for pilgrims. Specifically, the road connected pilgrims traveling to Rome by boat, from Tiber Island to the Vatican.
As the Middle Ages progressed, the walls of Via Della Lungara served as fortifications to some of the most important residential spaces in Rome. At the beginning of the Renaissance, Via Della Lungara was one of the most significant roads in Rome, and the neighborhood became home to noble families, such as the Riario family who had a villa along the Lungara (Villa Corsini) which once hosted Bramante and Michelangelo. An interesting aspect of its residential history is that even as nobility dominated much of the area, there were also simple, more average homes and apartments in the immediate vicinity. The nobility and history of the Villas and buildings that occupied the street is the likely inspiration for the walls serving as such great fortifications, perhaps to indicate wealth and significance. Today you’ll find many modern and renaissance marvels along the road, including the Porta Settimiana, the Palazzo Corsini, John Cabot University and the Villa Della Fernesina. The constructions along the walls of the Via Della Lungara act as a time capsule of important constructions throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, which has seemingly been hidden by Trastevere’s tourist sites and the very wall itself.
Abstract
Creator
Edited by Tim Abbott (2026)
Source
"Rome's Historical Districts - XIII - Trastevere." Rome's Historical Districts - XIII - Trastevere. Accessed May 10, 2015. http://roma.andreapollett.com/S5/rione13.htm.
Robbins, Deborah King. "A Case Study of Medieval Urban Process: Rome's Trastevere (1250-1450)." 9006487, University of California, Berkeley, 1989. http://ezproxy.carleton.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/303675283?accountid=9892.
Robbins, Deborah. "Via Lungaretta, The Making of a Medieval Street." In Streets: Critical Perspectives on Public Space, 164-77. Berkely and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press, 1994.
Identifier
Spatial Coverage
Description
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 extend from the former Aurelian walls, which once served as fortification to the then smaller Trastevere district. The walls ended at the gate Porta Settimiana, which was built in the third century by the Roman Emperor Aurelian. The Porta Settimiana was destroyed and rebuilt in the beginning and end of the 15th century, and it still stands today as the entrance to the “Long Road”.
The urban processes of Via Della Lungara, containing important buildings and constructions that lie along its walls, was especially important at the end of the Middle Ages in the early and late 15th century. The street initially served as a connecting road to St. Peter’s Basilica for pilgrims. Specifically, the road connected pilgrims traveling to Rome by boat, from Tiber Island to the Vatican.
As the Middle Ages progressed, the walls of Via Della Lungara served as fortifications to some of the most important residential spaces in Rome. At the beginning of the Renaissance, Via Della Lungara was one of the most significant roads in Rome, and the neighborhood became home to noble families, such as the Riario family who had a villa along the Lungara (Villa Corsini) which once hosted Bramante and Michelangelo. An interesting aspect of its residential history is that even as nobility dominated much of the area, there were also simple, more average homes and apartments in the immediate vicinity. The nobility and history of the Villas and buildings that occupied the street is the likely inspiration for the walls serving as such great fortifications, perhaps to indicate wealth and significance. Today you’ll find many modern and renaissance marvels along the road, including the Porta Settimiana, the Palazzo Corsini, John Cabot University and the Villa Della Fernesina. The constructions along the walls of the Via Della Lungara act as a time capsule of important constructions throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, which has seemingly been hidden by Trastevere’s tourist sites and the very wall itself.
Creator
Michael Sanson (2017)Edited by Tim Abbott (2026)
Source
"Porta Settimiana and Via Della Lungara." Porta Settimiana and Via Della Lungara. Accessed May 10, 2015. http://www.romaviva.com/trastevere-gianicolense/porta_settimiana_via_lungara_eng.htm."Rome's Historical Districts - XIII - Trastevere." Rome's Historical Districts - XIII - Trastevere. Accessed May 10, 2015. http://roma.andreapollett.com/S5/rione13.htm.
Robbins, Deborah King. "A Case Study of Medieval Urban Process: Rome's Trastevere (1250-1450)." 9006487, University of California, Berkeley, 1989. http://ezproxy.carleton.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/303675283?accountid=9892.
Robbins, Deborah. "Via Lungaretta, The Making of a Medieval Street." In Streets: Critical Perspectives on Public Space, 164-77. Berkely and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press, 1994.