En Route to Genazzano

Gregorovius spent several weeks in summer in the little town of Genazzano and he starts his account (Aus der Campagna von Rom) by describing the itinerary he followed to reach it.
He leaves Rome from Porta Maggiore along Via Labicana (today usually referred to as Via Casilina) and he sees the newly built railroad which linked Rome to Naples. He is struck by the contrast between the ugly railway buildings and the arch of the Roman aqueduct (Appio Claudio). The route leads him to Tor Pignattara, the name given to the tomb of St Helena, mother of Constantine and then to Torre Nova, a property of the Prince Borghese.

The church of Torre Nova, now closed and in bad condition, was built by Pope Clemens VIII, Ippolito Aldobrandini, shortly after having acquired the property by confiscating it as an additional penalty for the Cenci family, charged with the murder of Francesco Cenci. The property was then passed to the Borghese who were relatives of the Aldobrandini.

Church in Torre Nova and gate of Zagarolo

Gregorovius then reaches San Cesareo on the slopes of the Alban hills a location notorious for the brigands' assaults on the stagecoaches which used this route. From San Cesareo Gregorovius sees Zagarolo, a fief of the Rospigliosi (the account shows how the popes in the XVIIth century had built their personal fortunes) who built an imposing gateway there.

Palestrina

Palestrina appears spread over a hill a few miles after San Cesareo. Gregorovius believes he owes his readers a detailed description of the town and of its history.
Palestrina is the current name of Praeneste, one of the oldest towns of Latium and more important than Rome for many centuries: the town was at the very top of the hill and it was strongly fortified, nevertheless it could not resist the expansion of Rome.
In 82 BC it was totally destroyed by Silla in his war against Marius. Silla killed all the male inhabitants and repopulated the newly founded town with his veterans. He built upon the so called colossal walls of Praeneste an immense temple Tempio della Fortuna Primigenia with an important oracle. An imperial villa was built in Praeneste and from Augustus to the IVth century the emperors often came to Praeneste to escape the Roman summer.

General view of Palestrina and a street near the Cathedral
Praeneste in medieval times changed its name and became Palestrina, it was conquered by the Lombards and eventually was acquired by the Colonna family. In the fight between the Colonna and Pope Bonifatius VIII, in 1298 it was conquered by the pope who destroyed completely the part of the town on the top of the hill, above the ruins of the Roman temple. Other sieges and destructions occurred in the XVth century. Historical Palestrina is built on the site (and with the stones) of the Roman temple. There are four streets aligned with the terraces of the temple, linked by flights of steps.

Colossal walls and Roman additions
At several points both the "colossal" walls and the Roman additions are clearly visible. The pre-Roman walls are called colossal because it was thought that only giants could put them in place. Ferentino and Alatri, towns described by Gregorovius in another walk, both have impressive examples of these walls.

Signs of the Colonna family's rule
The Colonna sold Palestrina in 1630 to Carlo Barberini, brother of Pope Urbanus VIII. There are still churches, palaces and buildings decorated with their coat of arms. The coat of arms on the palace at the top of the town shows the transition from the Colonna to the Barberini.

Signs of the Barberini family's rule
Palestrina has also many references to the Barberini. One of the gates is called Porta del Sole after a relief showing a radiant sun. It is not a Roman relief, but a reference to the sun of the Barberini, one of their heraldic symbols, which also shines at the top of Palazzo Barberini.

Palazzo Barberini
The self esteem of the Barberini family could not survive with the palace they bought from the Colonna. Cardinal Francesco Barberini in 1636 required Pietro da Cortona to draw a reconstruction of the original temple and had the previous palace reshaped along the lines of the circular wall of the temple.

View from Palazzo Barberini
Gregorovius describes the view from the palace over the valley. His description of Palestrina is fairly accurate and complete. I will allow myself to add a detail by showing one of the richly decorated Barberini tombs in the church of S. Rosalia, next to the palace. It is by Bernardo Cametti and it clearly shows the influence of Bernini.

Tombs of the Barberini family in Santa Rosalia
Gregorovius made Palestrina popular among German readers and spending a summer in one of the towns described in his books became fashionable. Among others, Thomas and Heinrich Mann spent a summer in Palestrina.

Giuseppe Vasi Digressione breve e deliziosa Per ritrovare alcuni luoghi celebri ne' contorni di Roma. Città di Pelestrina Fuori della porta Maggiore lungi 24. miglia, da Roma è questa città, fabbricata al dire de' Poeti da Preneste figliuolo di Latino e nipote di Ulisse, o da Telegone figliuolo di Vulcano, e dicesi, che così la chiamasse l'Oracolo dalle corone, colle quali si videro la prima volta quelli abitatori, o pure dalla preminenza del sito, che quasi praest agli altri monti. Su questo fu il celebre tempio della Fortuna primogenita, a cui ricorrevano i Gentili, non solo nelle loro pretensioni, ed elezioni di ufizj, cariche, ed onori messi a forte; ma ancora ne' loro viaggi, specialmente per mare. Perciò i marinari e viandanti, passando dal mare tirreno, e scoprendo quel tempio da lontano, solevano riconoscere con dimostrazione di ossequio il simolacro di quella Dea, acciò conseguissero prospera navigazione. Fu ristaurato quel magnifico tempio da Lucio Silla in emenda dell'empietà commessa contro C. Mario il giovane, e altri suoi nemici, che ivi si erano rifugiati, parendogli di aver profanata la santità di quel tempio. E perchè vide, che la città era rimasta vuota di cittadini, parte uccisi da esso nel lungo assedio, e parte fuggiti dalla sua crudeltà, egli vi mandò da Roma molti ad abitare, e fecela colonia Romana. Dipoi per la salubrità dell'aria, ed amenità del paese fu frequentata quella città da Augusto, ed Orazio insieme con Mecenate; da Aulo Gellio, da Marc'Antonio Imperatore e da molti altri: ma sopra tutto è notabile, che in essa città s. Agapito, giovinetto di 15. anni dopo vari tormenti sofferse il martirio nel medesimo luogo, ove oggi è la chiesa cattedrale. Rimane di quel tempio non piccolo argomento vicino a questa chiesa, ed altresì nel palazzo superiore, osservandosi l'ammirabile mosaico noto a tutte le nazioni. E' ancora notabile la città o castello, che sta sulla cima del monte, perchè ivi dimorò per qualche tempo s. Pietro Apostolo, perciò si dice castel di s. Pietro, e vi si vede la famosa torre, in cui stette prigione il B. Japocone.

Next page (in Gregorovius' walks) Genazzano
Next page (in Giuseppe Vasi's Environs of Rome) Frascati

Introductory page on Ferdinand Gregorovius
Genazzano
Paliano
Anagni

Other walks:
The Ernici Mountains: Ferentino; Alatri
The Volsci Mountains: Valmontone; Segni; Norma; Cori
On the Latin shores: Anzio; Nettuno and Torre Astura
Circe's Cape: Terracina; San Felice
The Orsini Castle in Bracciano
Subiaco, the oldest Benedictine monastery