Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

Links to this page can be found in Book 7, Map B3, Day 5, View C10 and Rione Campitelli.

The page covers:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
S. Gregorio Magno (S. Gregorio al Celio)
The Atrium and its Renaissance Monuments
The Three Chapels
Tribuna di SS. Giovanni e Paolo
Antiquarium Comunale
Exhibits from the Museums

The Plate (No. 125)

In the XVIIIth century the Caelian Hill, one of the seven historical hills of Rome, was remote from the centre of the city and it housed almost only monasteries which had been built next to very ancient churches, exception made for Villa Mattei sul Monte Celio. S. Gregorio and the adjoining chapels were redesigned in the early XVIIth century. The portal to the left of the etching was the entrance to Vigna Cornovaglia, which in the late XIXth century became the site of a municipal archaeological museum.
The view is taken from the green dot in the small 1748 map here below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Triclinio di S. Gregorio (aka S. Barbara); 2) SS. Marta e Andrea (best known as S. Andrea); 3) S. Silvia; 4) Tribuna (apse) di SS. Giovanni e Paolo; 5) Clivo di Scauro. 5) is shown in another plate. The small map shows also 6) S. Gregorio Magno (aka S. Gregorio al Celio).

Today

The view in June 2009

The area has retained most of the aspect it had in 1756 at the time Vasi made his etching; the view over S. Gregorio Magno and the three chapels is almost unchanged.

A view from the Monument to Giuseppe Mazzini on the Aventine Hill

From the northern side of the Aventine it is possible to include S. Gregorio Magno and the apse of SS. Giovanni e Paolo in the same view. The image shows that the actual church of S. Gregorio Magno is preceded by an atrium and that the imposing façade is a theatrical entrance to the latter.

View towards the Palatine Hill from the staircase leading to S. Gregorio Magno

Today the valley separating the Caelian from the Palatine is larger and deeper than it was at Vasi's time, owing to changes made in the late XIXth century and in particular in 1933 when Via di S. Gregorio, a narrow street linking Circus Maximus with Arco di Costantino was replaced by a tree-lined avenue where military parades could take place.

S. Gregorio Magno

Monastery: (left) corridor leading to the church; (right) detail of the courtyard

The monastery was founded by St. Gregory the Great in ca. 575 by modifying his father's house and a nearby theological school (Biblioteca di Agapeto) built by his relative Pope St. Agapetus I. The site chosen was facing the Palatine, which at the time was the residence of the Byzantine governors of Rome. The monastery was for a long time assigned to the Benedictine order; in 1573 it passed to the Camaldolese, a branch of that order, named after the hermitage of Camaldoli near Arezzo (see their website - it opens in another window). The monastery was redesigned in 1715 and its decoration makes reference to the heraldic symbols (three mountains and a star) of Clement XI, the reigning pope.

(left) Façade; (right) atrium

14th November 1644. We went to St. Gregorio, in Monte Celio, where are many privileged altars, and there they showed us an arm of that saint, and other relics. Before this church stands a very noble portico.
John Evelyn's Diary and Correspondence
In 1629-1633 Giambattista Soria designed an atrium which was preceded by a staircase and a grand façade at the request of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. An illustration in a 1588 Guide to Rome shows that the church had a small bell tower on its left side.

Details of the façade showing the heraldic symbols of Cardinal Scipione Borghese

During the French occupation of Rome some coats of arms of popes and cardinals were erased by the French troops; this occurred to the coats of arms of Cardinal Borghese at the top of the façade and in the garden of the monastery. The soldiers did not realize that his heraldic symbols were everywhere in the decoration of the façade (or maybe they did not dare to erase them). So eagles and dragons were spared. They show the power and wealth Cardinal Borghese retained even after the death of his uncle (Pope Paul V) in 1621.

Interior: (left) main nave; (right) chapel at the end of the left nave

The interior of the church was redesigned in 1725-1730 by Francesco Ferrari, an architect who is best known for the use he made of stucco decorations, e.g. at SS. Ildefonso e Tommaso. This was due to a general lack of resources and materials (there were no longer many columns and marbles to be taken from the ancient buildings). Because of the redesign some XVIth century funerary monuments were relocated to the atrium whereas others were moved to the monastery.

Cappella Salviati: (left) main altar; (right) ceiling

Cardinal Antonio Maria Salviati belonged to a rich family from Florence. He promoted the renovation of Spedale di S. Giacomo in Augusta and for the Jubilee Year 1600 he commissioned the construction of a large side chapel at S. Gregorio Magno. Similar to S. Giacomo in Augusta it was designed by Francesco da Volterra and completed by Carlo Maderno. The ceiling was painted by Giovan Battista Ricci who was involved in the decoration of many Roman churches and chapels, including the transept of S. Giovanni in Laterano.

Cappella Salviati: (left) marble altar (see a similarly gilded relief at S. Maria in Trastevere); (right) detail of a fresco showing Castel Sant'Angelo

Cappella Salviati features a fine marble altar which was made in 1469 and stood in the church until its redesign by Ferrari. In its upper section it most likely shows Castel Sant'Angelo as it was prior to the changes made by Pope Alexander VI at the end of the XVth century. In a fresco by Ricci the castle is shown in another moment of its long history.

St. Gregory's Chair

According to tradition St. Gregory rested on this marble chair. It is dated Ist century BC and it is decorated with a relief showing a bearded genius holding two elaborate baskets between two winged lions. It might have been part of the furniture of the Roman houses which have been found under nearby SS. Giovanni e Paolo. You may wish to see Sedia Corsini, another ancient chair/throne.

Interior: (left) sections of the church Cosmati pavement (XIIIth century); (centre) fragment of a fresco in the monastery; (right) gravestone of a bishop which was moved from the church to the monastery

The Atrium and its Renaissance Monuments

(left) Funerary monuments which were relocated from the church to the atrium in the XVIIIth century; (right) monument to Sir Edward Carne (1561)

Many of the funerary monuments which were relocated to the atrium are related to members of foreign communities; their long inscriptions sometimes shed light on political events of the XVIth century.
Sir Edward Carne was a Welsh diplomat who was involved in missions to Emperor Charles V and to Pope Paul IV. After the death of Queen Mary I of England in 1558 he chose not to serve under Queen Elizabeth I and to remain in Rome: the design of his sarcophagus follows a pattern first introduced by Michelangelo in the Medici tombs at Sacrestia Nuova di S. Lorenzo in Florence, but which can be noticed also in works attributed to him in Rome, e.g. the monument to Cecchino Bracci in S. Maria in Aracoeli.

Monument to Antonio and Michele Bonsi by Luigi Capponi (1500)

Antonio and Michele Bonsi were two Florentine brothers: in 1498 Antonio was the Republic's Ambassador to Pope Alexander VI; his brother Michele was the owner of a fine collection of antiques he gathered in Rome. Their monument is a work by Luigi Capponi, the preferred pupil of Andrea Bregno who was the leading sculptor in Rome until the arrival of Michelangelo. Both Bregno and Capponi excelled in low reliefs.

Monument to Andrea Gentili (1525)

Andrea Gentili was from Genoa: he died at the age of 59. He was portrayed in his sleep in line with a traditional way of depicting the dead; in this case however the posture of Gentili is that of someone having a nap, rather than being immersed in his eternal sleep (it might have inspired the XIXth century funerary monument to Devereux Plantagenet Cockburn). During the Renaissance there was little room for the gruesome symbols of death which characterized many monuments of the following century.

Monument to Lelio Guidiccioni (1643) which makes use of a former monument to Imperia, a courtesan

The monument to Canon Lelio Guidiccioni (d. 1643) is rather peculiar because while its lower part shows a flying hourglass, which is typical of XVIIth century monuments, the reliefs in its upper part have a Renaissance grace. They are thought to come from the tomb of Imperia, a famous courtesan. She lived in a palace in Via Giulia where she died at the age of 26 in 1512. Her beauty was such that Gian Francesco Vitale, a minor poet who knew her wrote: "The gods made two gifts to Rome: Mars gave the Empire and Venus Imperia". Agostino Chigi, a rich banker, is known for having been one of her lovers and it is said that she posed for Raphael in The Triumph of Galatea, a fresco at la Farnesina, Chigi's villa.

Exorcism by St. Gregory, fresco traditionally attributed to il Pomarancio (see another fresco portraying a vision of St. Gregory)

In 1614 Pope Paul V approved the publication of Rituale Romanum, a comprehensive revision of all ceremonies and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. It included guidelines for exorcisms: it is interesting to note that the foreword to these guidelines had a word of a caution about the appropriateness of exorcisms: In primis, ne facile credat, aliquem a daemonio esse obsessum (First of all, one should not easily believe that a person is possessed by evil spirits). The atrium is decorated with a cycle of paintings showing events of the life of St. Gregory including one where an exorcism is performed. One of the preferred formulas is said to have been introduced by St. Benedict: Vade retro Satana (Step back Satan).

The Three Chapels

(left to right) S. Barbara, S. Andrea and S. Silvia

In the little graveyard of the monastery two medieval chapels dedicated to St. Barbara and St. Andrew were restored by Cardinal Cesare Baronio in 1602-1603; he added a third chapel dedicated to St. Silvia, mother of St. Gregory, in order to compose a symmetrical complex. Cardinal Baronio played a major role in the decoration of many churches during the pontificate of Pope Clement VIII, e.g. S. Cesareo in Palatio and SS. Nereo e Achilleo.

Coats of arms of Cardinal Scipione Borghese: (left) 1607 wooden ceiling of S. Andrea designed by Flaminio Ponzio; (right) rear side of the portal of the enclosure of the three chapels

Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the cardinal nephew, Paul V's favourite, was perhaps the most brilliant representative of the Pauline era. Jovial, vivacious, worldly in his outlook, famed for his sumptuous banquets, he invested much of his immense wealth in his buildings, collections, and the patronage of living artists. He was a true enthusiast and, contrary to the admonitions of the Trent Council, loved art for art's sake.
Rudolf Wittkower - Art and Architecture in Italy 1600-1750 - 1953
Cardinal Scipione Borghese completed the restoration of the three chapels and he placed his finely designed coats of arms almost eveywhere.

(left to right) S. Barbara, S. Andrea and S. Silvia

S. Barbara is aka Triclinio di S. Gregorio because St. Gregory used it as a soup kitchen; for this reason the lintel bears the inscription Triclinium pauperum (Dining room of the poor). St. Gregory is known for having developed an effective system for managing estates of the church to increase their revenue in order to assist the starving population of Rome.

S. Barbara: interior with a IIIrd century AD marble table, a statue by Nicolas Cordier portraying St. Gregory and much worn out frescoes by Antonio Viviani

They shew us yet the place and the table where this holy Man, in recompence of his charitable hospitallity to the poor, deserved to have an Angel, and the Lord of Angels for his Guests, he treated daily here twelve poor Men in honour of the twelve Apostles. In one of the Chappels, you see a fine Statue of white Marble of S. Gregory in his Pontifical Robes; it was erected to his honour by Cardinal Baronius, who was a devout admirer of him.
Richard Lassels' The Voyage of Italy, or a Compleat Journey through Italy in ca 1668
The chapel was built in the XIIth century above ancient Roman structures. Its current aspect is the result of the restoration commissioned by Cardinal Baronio. According to tradition St. Gregory had arranged the table for twelve poor when an angel in disguise made his appearance. After having eaten his meal he told St. Gregory how much God praised what he was doing.

S. Andrea - interior

A phalanx of young Bolognese artists, observing Annibale's success, chose to follow him to Rome; nor did events show that their assessment of the situation was incorrect. They had besides much to recommend themselves. First and foremost they were excellent artists. They had undergone a thorough training in the Carracci academy and had acquired a solid classical background even before they reached Rome. (..) Guido Reni (1575-1642) and Francesco Albani (1578-1660) appeared in Rome shortly after 1600, Lanfranco (1582-1647) and Domenichino (1581-1641) came soon after. (..) 1608: Oratory of St Andrew. S. Gregorio Magno. Rome. The large frescoes of St Andrew adoring the Cross by Reni and the Scourging of St Andrew by Domenichino were commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Wittkower
The monastery where St. Gregory spent part of his life was dedicated to St. Andrew and Cardinal Borghese commissioned two large frescoes depicting his martyrdom. The two painters who made them (Domenichino and Guido Reni) were among the leading ones of their time and until the mid of the XIXth century their works were "must see" for all foreign travellers, in particular those of Reni who was referred to simply as Guido. See the two painters in a fresco by Domenichino at Grottaferrata.

St. Andrew adoring the Cross by Guido Reni

In his munificent commissions of works in fresco, both for private and public buildings, Cardinal Borghese showed partiality to the Bolognese, particularly to Guido Reni, who belonged to his household from 1608 onwards. (..) Reni's first great fresco the St. Andrew led to Martyrdom is in telling contrast to the static quality of Domenichino's fresco on the wall opposite. In a semicircular procession from left to right which curves towards the front of the picture plane, the figure of the saint is caught ia a moment of time as he adores the Cross visible on the far-away hill. There is however a lack of dramatic concentration and a diffusion in the composition which while allowing the eye to rest with pleasure on certain passages of superb painting, distracts from the story itself. How lucidly organized, by contrast, is the Domenichino! (..) The classicism of Reni is in fact far freer and more imaginative than that of Domenichino. Wittkower

S. Andrea: details of the frescoes by Domenichino (left) and Guido Reni (right)

S. Andrea a S. Gregorio In Monte Celio. One goes to this Church through an Unfrequented ill way, and finds it Deserted, and in a Bad Condition: On the two Sides of it are the Pictures of Guido and Dominichin done at the same time and Consequently in Concurrence: They are both of them Dirty, and Injur'd particularly by the Rain Water coming through the Ceiling, and running down. The Subject of that of Guido is St. Andrew falling on his Knees upon sight of the Cross on which he was going to be Martyr'd, the other is his Flagellation. Prints there are of Both, by which some Judgment may be made of their Merit. (..) Dominichin was in Some respect under a great Disadvantage in this Competition. (..) He was a Mild, Devout, Modest Man, very subject therefore to be born down, and Oppress'd by Guido, who was of a Temper more fit to make its way in the World. (..) Which of the two was the better Painter I am not about to say; in Some Views Guido was, in Others Dominichin: Both had their Excellencies, Both ought to be esteemed. 'Tis certain nevertheless that in the present Case the Preference was Generally given to Guido.
J. and J. Richardson's Account of Some of the Statues, etc. in Italy - 1722
In 1786, on his way to Rome, J. W. Goethe stopped at Bologna, the hometown of Domenichino and Reni:
The main obstacle to understanding these painters is their absurd subjects, which drive me mad, though I would like to admire and love them. (..) It is always the same, even with a genius like Guido. You find yourself in the dissecting room, at the foot of the gallows, on the edge of the corpse pit. His heroes always suffer and never act. Italian Journey - translation by W. H. Auden and E. Mayer - Collins 1962.
One of the first things Goethe did in Rome was to see the ceiling painted by Domenichino at S. Andrea della Valle with scenes of the life of St. Andrew.

S. Silvia: apse decorated by Guido Reni with God the Father and Angels (see the music-making angels in paintings by Filippino Lippi and Melozzo da Forlì)

In the Music-making Angels of the S. Silvia Chapel in S. Gregorio Magno, Reni has rendered the intangible beauty and golden light which belong to the nature of angels. Wittkower
I am extremely fond of all this artist's (Guido Reni) pieces. There is a tenderness and delicacy in his manner; and his figures are all exquisitely beautiful, though his expression is often erroneous, and his attitudes are always affected and unnatural.
Tobias Smollett - Travels through France and Italy - 1766

Statues by Nicolas Cordier: (left) St. Gregory with the dove of the Holy Spirit; (right) St. Silvia

In the third chapel, which is that of S. Barbara, the statue of S. Gregory was sculptured by N. Cordieri, under the direction of Michelangelo. (..) The first chapel to the right is that of S. Sylvia, dedicated by S. Gregory to his sainted mother. It is adorned with two columns of porphyry, with alabaster etc. and the statue of the Saint was sculptured by N. Cordieri, under the direction of Michelangelo.
Rev. Jeremiah Donovan - Rome Ancient and Modern - 1843
Nicolas Cordier (1567-1612) aka il Franciosino because of his French origin and his small constitution, was provided by Cardinal Baronio with a marble block which was found in the house of Michelangelo at his death in 1564. The block was already partially worked and it was meant to portray St. Peter or a pope, perhaps for the tomb of Pope Julius II. This explains why Cordier was associated with Michelangelo by many writers of Roman guides, including Vasi, notwithstanding the fact that he came to Rome in 1592.
Cordier found inspiration for the statue of St. Silvia in those of Lia and Rachel in the Monument to Pope Julius II in S. Pietro in Vincoli. The statue was highly praised and it influenced that of St. Bibiana, an early work by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. A fine bust of Jesus by Cordier at S. Agnese was attributed to Michelangelo for a long time. Cordier worked for Pope Clement VIII at Cappella Aldobrandini in S. Maria sopra Minerva and for Cardinal Borghese at the restoration/creation of ancient statues.

(left) Portal of the enclosure of the three chapels; (right) Biblioteca di Agapito

In 1607 Flaminio Ponzio designed a new portal (you can see the inscription on its lintel in the image used as background for this page) on the site of the old entrance to the monastery (which was rebuilt to the right of the church); the ruins of a basilica stand between this portal and the three chapels. They are known as Biblioteca di Agapito and they are thought to have been built by Pope St. Agapetus I; the lower part of the walls belong to an earlier building.

Tribuna di SS. Giovanni e Paolo

Apse of SS. Giovanni e Paolo (you may wish to see a 1909 watercolour by Yoshio Markino depicting the back of the church)

The body of the church has been entirely modernized (..) but the portico, pavement and apse of the 12th century remain, and the latter has a good exterior arcaded gallery, the only case, so far as I know, where this Pisan and Lombard feature appears in Rome.
Thomas Graham Jackson - Byzantine and Romanesque architecture - 1920
The left part of the plate shows the apse of SS. Giovanni e Paolo which was decorated in the early XIVth century with a gallery in Lombard style. The brickwork of the cornice is dated XIIth century.

Antiquarium Comunale

Antiquarium Comunale - Garden on the side towards SS. Giovanni e Paolo in March 2021

When the plans for the new quarters were about to be carried into execution, our Archaeological Commission obtained from the municipality the permission to explore the ground beforehand, so that, as far as possible, nothing should be left under the new buildings.
Rodolfo Lanciani - Ancient Rome in the light of recent discoveries - 1888
Musei Capitolini were not large enough to house all the ancient works of art which were discovered in properties belonging to the City of Rome after 1871 especially in areas which housed new developments. Lanciani himself suggested the use of a public garden known as Orto Botanico al Celio (formerly Vigna Cornovaglia) as a detached addition to Musei Capitolini.

Antiquarium Comunale seen from Via di S. Gregorio; it stands opposite the portal of Orti Farnesiani

The new museum consisted of a relatively small building and of a very large garden where all the ancient stones which did not require being sheltered were placed. In 1929 the building was replaced by another one which stood right on the edge of Via di S. Gregorio. In 1939 it was damaged by the tremors caused by the construction of the first underground line of Rome. The building was partially demolished; its finest exhibits were eventually moved to Centrale Montemartini. The museum and its garden were closed; the latter became a chaotic exhibition of materials.

Antiquarium Comunale - Garden on the side towards SS. Giovanni e Paolo in March 2021: (above) a "strigilato" sarcophagus; (below) funerary inscription along Via Salaria indicating the area occupied by the tomb (LOCUM MONUMENTI IN FRONT P(EDEs) XX IN AGRO P(EDES) XXX (see a similar inscription along Via Collatina)

A large number of celebratory and funerary inscriptions and other interesting antiquities could be seen from a distance in the eastern part of the garden. In January 2024 the exhibits were rearranged in a new set up and this part of the garden was opened to the public as Parco Archeologico del Celio. It is covered in a separate page.

Antiquarium Comunale - area around the former museum in January 2023: a series of capitals including one showing the head of a woman and swans, Venus' favourite birds

Exhibits from the Museums

Museo Nazionale Romano: IIIrd century AD floor mosaic from excavations in the convent of S. Gregorio with a Greek inscription meaning "Know Thyself"

In the fore-temple at Delphi are written maxims useful for the life of men, inscribed by those whom the Greeks say were sages. (..) These sages, then, came to Delphi and dedicated to Apollo the celebrated maxims, "Know thyself", and "Nothing in excess".
Pausanias - Description of Greece - Translation by W.H.S. Jones and H.A. Ormerod
The association of the maxim with a skeleton is a sort of early Memento Mori.

Musei Capitolini: Temple to Mars

In 1878 minute fragments of painted terracotta were found during the enlargement of the street which linked Piazza del Colosseo with S. Gregorio Magno. The fragments which archaeologists were able to piece together indicated that they were part of the front decoration of a IInd century BC temple made by Etruscan artists. These had achieved a high level of skill in making terracotta statues and sarcophagi. Based on the statue at the centre of the tympanum some archaeologists believe it might have been a temple dedicated to Mars. A similar earlier temple with terracotta statues was found near S. Omobono in the 1930s.

Next plate in Book 7: Monastero de' Monaci Cisterciensi.
Next step in Day 5 itinerary: Chiesa de' SS. Nereo e Achilleo.
Next step in your tour of Rione Campitelli: Palazzo Augustale.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:

Chiesa, e Monastero di s. Gregorio Magno Siede questa chiesa sul pendio del monte Celio, anticamente chiamato Clivus Scauri, dove propriamente il s. Pontefice ebbe la casa paterna, la quale egli ridusse in monastero, e vi abitò anche egli da religioso, menando una vita sì austera, che solamente si cibava di una scodella di legumi, macerati nell'acqua, mandatigli ogni giorno da santa Silvia sua madre abitante alla cella nuova. Vi eresse ancora una chiesa in onore di s. Andrea Apostolo; ma dipoi essendo riedificata, fu dedicata al medesimo s. Gregorio. Il Card. Scipione Borghese nel 1633. vi fece il gran prospetto e portico con disegno di Gio. Batista Soria, ed ultimamente i monaci Camaldolesi, che vi risiedono, hanno rinnovato il chiostro, e la chiesa; sotto i portici sonovi varj depositi ornati di marmi, e di metalli, e nella chiesa delle pitture di buona mano. Il quadro nella seconda cappella è di Franc. Imperiale; quello sull'altare maggiore di un Bolognese, e quello nell'ultima e di Pompeo Battoni. E' riguardevole però il quadro di s. Gregorio posto nella cappella presso la porticella laterale, per essere opera di Annibale Caracci. Sieguono dopo di questa le tre celebri cappelle, una distinta dall'altra, e furono rinnovate dal Card. Baronio, e ornate di pitture dal suddetto Card. Borghese; la statua di s. Silvia nella prima cappella è opera del Franciosino, e li due quadri a fresco nella seconda, cioè quello, che rappresenta s. Andrea condotto al martirio, è opera insigne di Guido Reni, e l'altro incontro è del gran Domenichino; il quadro però sull'altare è del Pomarancio; la statua di s. Gregorio nella terza cappella fu principiata dal Buonarroti, e poi terminata dal mentovato Franciosino, e le pitture intorno sono del Viviano da Urbino. La tavola di marmo, che sta in mezzo a questa cappella, si crede esser quella, su cui il s. Pontefice soleva dare da mangiare a dodici Poveri, fra i quali apparve più volte un Angiolo in forma di povero per compire il numero di tredici.