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Visit Rome following 8 XVIIIth century itineraries XVIIIth century Rome in the 10 Books of Giuseppe Vasi - Le Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna The Grand View of Rome by G. Vasi The Environs of Rome: Frascati, Tivoli, Albano and other small towns near Rome A 1781 map of Rome by G. Vasi An 1852 map of Rome by P. Letarouilly Rome seen by a 1905 armchair traveller in the paintings by Alberto Pisa The 14 historical districts of Rome An abridged history of Rome How to spend a peaceful day in Rome Baroque sculptors and their works The coats of arms of the popes in the monuments of Rome Pages on a specific pope Pages complementing the itineraries and the views by Giuseppe Vasi Walks in the Roman countryside and in other towns of Latium following Ferdinand Gregorovius A Directory of links to the Churches of Rome A Directory of links to the Palaces and Villas of Rome A Directory of links to the Other Monuments of Rome A Directory of Baroque Architects with links to their works A Directory of links to Monuments of Ancient Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Medieval Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Renaissance A Directory of links to Monuments of the Late Renaissance A list of the most noteworthy Roman Families Directories of fountains, obelisks, museums, etc. Books and guides used for developing this web site An illustrated Glossary of Art Terms Venice and the Levant Roman recollections in Florence A list of Italian towns shown in this web site Venetian Fortresses in Greece Vienna seen by an Italian XVIIIth century traveller A list of foreign towns shown in this web site
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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

To the Italian visitors of my web site


To Nomentum and beyond Mentana, Monterotondo and Palombara
(a terrace in Palombara with a telescope to see Rome)

Introduction

Via Nomentana, one of the historical roads of Ancient Rome is today (in its urban section outside Porta Pia) a large alley flanked with imposing buildings and large villas. Unlike other historical roads which linked Rome to its remote eastern (Via Appia) or western (Via Aurelia) provinces, Via Nomentana had a much closer target: the small town of Nomentum, where many rich Romans had their suburban villas.

Towns shown in this section
1) Ponte Nomentano; 2) Mentana; 3) Monterotondo; 4) Palombara in a 1924 map

Mentana

Main gate: Roman statue and funerary relief
Main gate; Roman statue and funerary relief

After the fall of the Roman Empire the ancient town of Nomentum was abandoned and its inhabitants moved to a nearby site which was more easily defensible. In the following century it was surrounded by walls and towers which still protect it. Some houses are decorated with ancient statues and funerary reliefs.

Palazzo Peretti Borghese; detail showing the heraldic symbol of Pope Sixtus V Peretti; a corner of the palace
Palazzo Peretti Borghese; detail showing the heraldic symbol of Pope Sixtus V Peretti; a corner of the palace

The main square has almost a Renaissance appearance. Cardinal Felice Peretti (Pope Sixtus V 1585-90) and in the following century the Borghese family modified the medieval fortress to turn it into a more elegant residence.

Monterotondo

Porta Garibaldi and S. Rocco; monument to Girolamo Orsini in S. Maria delle Grazie
Porta Garibaldi and S. Rocco; monument to Girolamo Orsini in S. Maria delle Grazie

Monterotondo means round/circular mountain and the name refers to the fact that the town is at the top of an isolated hill, a characteristic it shares with other small towns of this part of Latium. For this reason Monterotondo is visible from Rome and Giuseppe Vasi showed it in his Grand View of Rome. The image used as a background for this page shows Monterotondo seen from Palombara.
In October 1867 Giuseppe Garibaldi, the XIXth century Italian national hero, made an attempt to march towards Rome with some 3,000 volunteers. He hoped on an insurrection of the Romans of Trastevere, but the papal police discovered the location where the leaders of the planned revolt had placed their firearms and ammunition and after a short fight arrested them. In the meantime Garibaldi and his troops moved towards Rome: to reach their objective they had to seize Monterotondo: they set fire to the main gate of the town and the papal garrison after a short resistance surrendered (that explains why the gate is today named after Garibaldi). A few days later the French troops sent by Emperor Napoleon III defeated Garibaldi at Mentana. Pope Pius IX celebrated the victory of Mentana by commissioning a monument to the fallen soldiers: he had in mind to place it in a Roman piazza, but because Rome was conquered by the Italian troops in 1870, the monument ended up in the cemetery of Rome.
Monterotondo was for centuries a stronghold of the Orsini and one of them is remembered by an elegant early Renaissance monument.

Cathedral; Barberini coat of arms; access to the Town Hall
Cathedral; Barberini coat of arms; access to the Town Hall

In the XVIIth century Monterotondo was acquired by the Barberini and Pope Urbanus VIII ordered his nephew Cardinal Carlo to provide the town with a large church. The church, designed by Domenico Castelli, was completed in 1637 and the event was celebrated in a lengthy inscription above the entrance. References to Pope Urbanus VIII were erased from his coat of arms, most likely during Garibaldi's occupation of the town: so the viewer more easily notices the masks hidden in its design.
The Barberini and Castelli modified the castle built by the Orsini at the top of the town: the side towards Monterotondo still conveys the image of a fortification, while the façade towards the countryside (image below) has the appearance of a city palace.

Town Hall
Barberini Palace now the Town Hall

Palombara

Castello Savelli
Castello Savelli

Palombara is another town which can be seen from Rome, due to its position at the top of a hill. Giuseppe Vasi showed it in his Grand View of Rome (above No 83). In the morning, especially in winter, the inhabitants of Palombara are able to see the landmarks of Rome (obviously only those on high ground).
The town was for centuries a fief of the Savelli family who in the XVIIIth century were usually called Palombara and who gave this name to their large villa near S. Eusebio.

Streets leading to Castello Savelli
Streets leading to Castello Savelli and the protected passage also leading to it

Palombara retains almost entirely the fortifications built by the Savelli: they included a protected passage which allowed the defenders to easily move between the fortress at the top of the hill and the walls surrounding the town.

Monte Gennaro seen from Palombara
Monte Gennaro seen from Palombara

The Grand View of Rome shows a mountain behind Palombara: Vasi did not design a generic mountain, but he actually engraved the profile of Monte Gennaro, the first mountain (4,000 ft high) near Rome to be capped with snow in winter.


Pages on towns of Latium other than Rome In the Duchy of Castro: Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Valentano, Gradoli, Capodimonte, Marta In Maremma: Corneto (Tarquinia), Montalto, Canino A Pilgrim's Way: Via Francigena: Acquapendente, Bolsena, Montefiascone In and about Viterbo: Viterbo, Bagnoregio, S. Martino al Cimino, Tuscania, Bomarzo, S. Maria della Querce, Bagnaia, Orte, Vasanello, Vitorchiano From Civitavecchia to Civita Castellana: Civitavecchia, Tolfa, Allumiere, Oriolo Romano, Capranica, Sutri, Bassano, Monterosi, Nepi, Castel d'Elia, Civita Castellana From Bracciano to Viterbo: Manziana, Canale Monterano, Vejano, Barbarano, Blera, Vetralla Around Monte Cimino: Ronciglione, Caprarola, Carbognano, Fabrica, Corchiano, Vignanello, Vallerano, Soriano The Bracciano Lake: Bracciano, Trevignano, Anguillara At the foot of Monte Soratte: S. Oreste, Rignano, Faleria Land of the Romans' wives: Montopoli, Poggio Mirteto, Casperia, Cantalupo, Roccantica Sentinels on the Highway: Fiano Romano, Civitella S. Paolo, Nazzano, Torrita Tiberina, Filacciano, Ponzano Along Via Aurelia: Palidoro, Palo, S. Severa and S. Marinella A Walk to Malborghetto: Prima Porta, Malborghetto Branching off Via Cassia: S. Maria di Galeria, Formello, Isola Farnese To Nomentum and beyond: Mentana, Monterotondo, Palombara A Walk to Ponte di Nona: ancient monuments along Via Prenestina Via Appia Antica A short and delicious digression: Tivoli, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino, Castelgandolfo, Albano, Ariccia, Genzano, Velletri, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Civita Lavinia (Lanuvio), Porto, Ostia Where the painters found their models: Anticoli Corrado, Castelmadama, Vicovaro, Arsoli Subiaco The Roman Campagna: Palestrina, Genazzano, Paliano, Anagni The Ernici Mountains: Ferentino, Alatri The Volsci Mountains: Valmontone, Colonna, Segni, Norma, Cori On the Latin Shores: Anzio, Nettuno, Torre Astura On the edge of the marsh: Sermoneta, Sezze, Priverno Circe's Cape: S. Felice, Terracina Veroli Branching off Via Flaminia: Riano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Morlupo, Leprignano (Capena)

Latium was enlarged in the 1920s with territories from the neighbouring regions: the map on the left shows the current borders of Latium; the map on the right has links to pages covering towns of historical Latium: in order to see them you must hover and click on the dots.