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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Page revised in August 2009.

To the Italian visitors of my web site

Chiesa di S. Bernardo alle Terme (Book 7) (Day 2) (Map A2) (Rione Monti)

In this page:
 The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
 Today's view
 S. Bernardo alle Terme
 The Roman Hall

The Plate (No. 127 - iii)

Chiesa di S. Bernardo alle Terme


This plate is one of the smaller views which Vasi added to the standard 20 plates of each book. In Book 7 which covered the Friaries he had to add nine smaller views in order to properly cover the topic. Alle Terme is a reference to Terme (Baths) di Diocleziano, as the church made use of a hall of the baths.
The view is taken from the green dot in the 1748 map below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) S. Bernardo alle Terme; 2) Strada Pia. Strada Pia is covered in another page.

Small ViewSmall Map

Today

The view today
The view in August 2009 and enlargement of the street (Via Torino) leading to S. Maria Maggiore

Vasi was generally very accurate in representing the monuments of Rome and in particular their architectonic details. In this view however the drum (apparently) supporting the dome has ten sides, whereas its shape is octagonal.
The lantern of the dome was demolished in the XIXth century because its weight endangered the stability of the Roman structure. In 1872 part of the land belonging to the monastery was acquired by the Italian State for opening a new street between Strada Pia (renamed Via XX Settembre) and S. Maria Maggiore.

S. Bernardo alle Terme

Coat of arms
(left) Sacred image on the façade; (right) stucco decoration of the interior

The ancient Roman hall was turned into a church in 1596 at the initiative of Caterina Nobili Sforza, a niece of Pope Julius III. The church and the adjoining monastery were her gift to Abbot Jean de la Barrière who in 1586 founded a new branch of the Cistercian order. In 1592 the abbot came under suspicion of supporting the Huguenots and later on he was placed under a sort of house arrest in the new monastery where he died in 1600.
The church was dedicated to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, one of the first members of the Cistercian order.
The decoration of the church is based on stucco works (including eight gigantic statues by Camillo Mariani); part of it was added during a 1670 restoration: the ovals which decorate the drum are thought to belong to this period.

The Roman Hall

The old walls
(left) Ancient wall of the Roman building seen from Via Torino; (right) interior of the dome

The original Roman circular building was located at the south-western corner of the baths: an identical building was located at their south-eastern corner. It is thought that they were used for exercising or playing ball games (sphaeristeria) or for resting. The coffers of the vault are similar to those of Tempio della Pace (Basilica di Massenzio), which was built in the same period.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Chiesa di S. Bernardo a Termini
Non prima dell'anno 1598. fu ridotto in chiesa quest'ammirabile avanzo delle Terme Diocleziane, in onore di s. Bernardo, e accanto vi fu eretto il monastero per li monaci del medesimo Santo, della riforma però fatta dal venerabile D. Gio. Barriero abate Furiense di Tolosa, il corpo del quale giace a sinistra dell'altare maggiore. È questa di figura circolare, e vi sono stati adattati delle nicchie ed altari d'intorno, ornati di stucchi, e di pitture. Il Cav. Odazj vi fece li due gran quadri, e Cammillo Mariani da Vicenza le otto statue di stucco collocate nelle nicchie; la statua però di s. Francesco, ed altro nella cappella laterale sono lavori in marmo di Giacomo Antonio Fancelli. Nell'orto di detto monastero si vedono delle rovine delle medesime Terme in forma di teatro, e vi fu adattata una cappella dedicata a s. Caterina.

Next plate in Book 7: Chiesa della SS. Trinità
Next step in Day 2 itinerary: Piazza di Termini
Next step in your tour of Rione Monti: Chiesa e Monastero di S. Susanna