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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

Porta Angelica (Book 1) (Map D1) (Day 8) (View C2) (Rione Borgo)

In this page:
 The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
 Today's view
 The gate
 Palazzo Belvedere
 S. Anna dei Palafrenieri
 The Walls between Porta Angelica and Porta Castello

The Plate (No. 19)

Porta Angelica

This plate is one of my favourites. At sunset sharp lights and shadows hit the buildings, the shepherds and their sheep preparing for the night. 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) Casino di Belvedere; 2) Corridors linking the Casino with Palazzo Vaticano. 1) is shown in another page. The small map shows also: 3) Porta Angelica; 4) S. Anna dei Palafrenieri.

Small ViewSmall View

Today

The view today

The line of the walls was modified after 1929, when an agreement was reached between Italy and the Holy See. In order to reflect the border of the Vatican City State a new wall was built between Porta Angelica and St. Peter's square, whilst the wall leading to Castel Sant'Angelo was pulled down including Porta Angelica, named after Pope Pius IV (Giovanni Angelo Medici) and dedicated to the Guardian Angel.

The Gate

The GateWhere it was

The angels and the coat of arms of Pius IV have been rearranged in Piazza Risorgimento, a large square named after the movement which led to the Italian unity. Pius IV had a great role in improving the access to Rome. In addition to Porta Angelica he built Porta Pia, Strada Pia, a straight road linking this gate with Palazzo del Quirinale and Strada Angelica another road linking Porta Angelica with Ponte Milvio and Via Cassia. This road is celebrated in inscriptions above an opening (the crossed box in the map) in the ancient walls of the Vatican (il Passetto) which allowed easy access to Porta Angelica and Strada Angelica. Pope Urbanus VIII did not fail to add his coat of arms to that of Pius IV.

The inscriptions

Palazzo Belvedere

Palazzo Belvedere

The palace was built by Pope Innocentius VIII (see inscription and coat of arms) in the form of a fortress (the walls were not there). In the late XVIIIth century it started being used to host the Papal Collections (what is now the Vatican Museum) and Pope Pius VI opened a balcony to bring light to the octagonal courtyard and its famous sculptures, among which the Apollo Belvedere. Belvedere means nice (Bel) seeing (vedere) and it is the name of the Palace which commands a fine view.

S. Anna dei Palafrenieri

S. Anna dei Palafrenieri

Porta S. Anna is the commercial entrance to the Vatican. Every morning a flow of civil servants get to work under the scrutiny of a Swiss guard. The Swiss guards have their barracks and stables opposite the church.
Palafrenieri is just a pompous word for grooms. The church was built in 1575 most likely by Giacinto Barocci, son of Jacopo Barocci il Vignola, but it was given a baroque flavor by Alessandro Specchi who (in the early XVIIIth century) added the portal, the balustrade and the bell towers. The modern entrance to the Vatican was built during the pontificate of Pius XI, whose heraldic symbols (an eagle on top of three pills) are sculpted in "lictorial" style on top of the pillars ("lictorial" is the name given to the style prevailing in the late 1930s in Italy, with reference to the lictores, Roman magistrates who bore the fasces, symbols of the Fascist regime).

The Walls between Porta Angelica and Porta Castello

The walls between Porta Angelica and Porta Castello

On the left the modern coat of arms of Pius XI which celebrates the completion of the new wall. A Pius IV's coat of arms of the old walls can be seen in the courtyard of a building in Via Stefano Porcari.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Chiesa di s. Anna de' Palafrenieri
La confraternita de' Palafrenieri, perchè aveva anticamente una cappella dedicata a s. Anna nel tempio vecchio di s. Pietro, e restandone privi per la nuova fabbrica nell'an. 1575. edificarono questa chiesa col disegno di Giacomo Barozzio, eseguito però da Giacinto suo figliuolo.
Porta Angelica
Fu questa una di quelle fatte da s. Leone IV. e si chiamava Porta s. Petri, sebbene l'antica Porta s. Petri, prima di s. Leone stesse presso la chiesa di s. Gio. de' Fiorentini: ma dipoi essendo nell'anno 1563. rinnovata da Pio IV. si disse Angelica, non per gli Angioli, che si vedono scolpiti in marmo nelli stipiti laterali, ma perchè Angelo si chiamò quel Pontefice prima di essere eletto Papa.

Next plate in Book 1: Porta Castello
Next step in Day 8 itinerary: Chiesa di S. Maria delle Grazie