Home

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
What's New!

Detailed Sitemap

All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

DON'T LET ME DOWN!

Along Via Aurelia Along Via Aurelia
(inscription celebrating Emperor Septimius Severus near S. Marinella)

The first section of ancient Via Aurelia was built in the IIIrd century BC to ensure good communication with Cosa (today Ansedonia, a few miles north of Montalto di Castro), a town founded by the Romans to control Etruscan territories they had just conquered. It was named after a member of gens (family) Aurelia who promoted the initiative. It had two starting points in Rome: Porta Aurelia (Porta S. Pancrazio) and the site where later on Mausoleo di Adriano was built.

Palidoro

Palidoro
Palidoro


A Roman road was not just the actual engineering work: it also meant a complex logistic system: a statio, at approximately every 15 miles, provided travellers with accommodation, food, stables, horses, etc. Many towns throughout western Europe grew out of a Roman statio.
The current hamlet of Palidoro was ancient statio Baebiana: it became a fortified farm in the XVth century shortly after having been bought by Ospedale di S. Spirito. It has a rectangular shape (similar to that of S. Maria di Galeria) with two small entrances: the church was relocated outside the farm in 1783 by Pope Pius VI, who placed an unusually large coat of arms on its façade.

Details
Palidoro: (left to right): a) a cipollino column; b) a medieval relief; c) the symbol of Ospedale di S. Spirito on the floor of one of the entrances; d) 1589 coat of arms of the bishop in charge of Ospedale di S. Spirito.

Palo

Castello Odescalchi at Palo
Castello Odescalchi at Palo


Via Aurelia comes close to the sea near the castle of Palo which was built in the XVth century during the pontificate of Pope Pius II; soon after it was acquired by the Orsini who in 1687 sold it to Livio Erba Odescalchi, nephew of Pope Innocent XI. The castle still belongs to the Odescalchi who rent it for special events; next to it a former annex to the castle was recently turned into an upscale countryside resort.

Torre Flavia

Torre Flavia
Torre Flavia


The Orsini were the lords of the area for more than two centuries until they sold most of their possessions, including the castle of Bracciano, to the Odescalchi. Their name or to be more precise that of Cardinal Flavio Orsini is still associated with the ruins of a Renaissance tower which is located a few miles north of Palo; the coastline receded and the tower ended by having to bear the direct impact of the sea. Its leaning aspect reminds the viewer of the leaning house another Orsini built at Bomarzo.

S. Severa

Gate and coats of arms
Gate and coats of arms of Pope Urban VIII and of other members of the Barberini family above the symbol of Ospedale di S. Spirito


In the IIIrd century BC the Romans built a fortified settlement on the site of Pyrgi, an Etruscan port: they were at war with Carthage and they wanted to protect the coast near Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire the site was abandoned; towards the year 1000 a section of Pyrgi was fortified and renamed S. Severa. In 1482 it was acquired by Ospedale di S. Spirito.

Ancient Pyrgi
Ancient Pyrgi: (left to right) a) ancient polygonal walls; b) site of a Roman gate: a stone still shows the resting place of the pivot; c) excavations have found older Etruscan walls made of red tufa blocks upon which the Romans built their own walls.


The Etruscan town had an important shrine dedicated to Astarte, a Phoenician goddess whom the Greeks regarded as an Eastern Aphrodite: excavations have found three golden leaves with dedicatory inscriptions in both Etruscan and Phoenician (the language spoken at Carthage), which are displayed at Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia.

Details
S. Severa: (left to right): a late XVIIIth century fountain; the square of the hamlet inside the castle; a coat of arms of a cardinal in charge of Ospedale di S. Spirito


The hamlet belonged to Ospedale di S. Spirito until 1982 when it was acquired by local authorities and opened to the public.

Castello
S. Severa: (left to right): a tower of the external walls; eastern side of the castle; sea front showing the old tower and the castle


On the sea front S. Severa was protected by a XIVth century castle built next to an existing tall tower.

S. Marinella

Roman memories
Roman memories: (left) inscription celebrating the restoration of a bridge dedicated to Apollo; (right) bridge at Km 60,700


The growth of Roman power led Emperor Augustus to extend Via Aurelia to the current border between Italy and France; Emperor Antoninus Pius promoted a major maintenance effort which was completed by Emperor Septimius Severus; three bridges of the ancient road and a long inscription celebrating the restoration of a fourth one can be seen in the section of Via Aurelia between S. Severa and S. Marinella.

Castello Odescalchi at S. Marinella
Castello Odescalchi at S. Marinella

S. Marinella was a small Etruscan port where Ulpian, an advisor of Emperor Septimius Severus and his heirs, built a large villa. In the Middle Ages parts of the villa were turned into a small castle, which was reshaped by the Barberini in the XVIIth century: later on it was acquired by Ospedale di S. Spirito: eventually in 1887 the Odescalchi bought it (they still own it).

Castello Odescalchi at S. Marinella
Castello Odescalchi at S. Marinella - details

You can continue your journey along Via Aurelia by visiting Civitavecchia (with a map of Via Aurelia) and Tarquinia.



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.