In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
The Fish Market (and S. Andrea dei Pescivendoli)
Portico di Ottavia
S. Angelo in Pescheria
S. Ambrogio alla Massima
Casa dei Vailati e Albergo della Catena
Case dei Fabi

The Plate (No. 28 - ii)

Vasi leads us to see a picturesque corner of Rome: its fish market (pesce=fish hence pescaria today pescheria=fishery); its location was due to its proximity to the river; boats from Porto and Ostia brought the fish at dawn. The small square was dominated by an imposing ancient monument, the entrance to Portico d'Ottavia, a large porch built by Emperor Augustus and dedicated to his sister Ottavia.
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) Ancient Portico; 2) S. Angelo; 3) Vico (small alley) di Pescaria; 4) Dome of S. Maria in Campitelli. 4) is shown in another page. The small map shows also: 5) S. Andrea dei Pescivendoli; 6) S. Ambrogio della Massima; 7) Casa dei Vailati; 8) Albergo della Catena; 9) Casa dei Fabi.


Today

The view in June 2009
The entrance to Portico d'Ottavia has been freed from the houses to its left and its foundations have been brought to light; the entrance to the church is still there, but the actual access is now on the side of the building.

The Fish Market

Modern inscription containing a 1581 decree (frame courtesy of Bottega d'Arte 1856)
In recent years the foundations of the entrance to Portico d'Ottavia were excavated and it is no longer easy to read an inscription (the 1581 original is at Musei Capitolini) stating that the heads of the fish which exceeded a certain size were to be given to the Conservatori, i.e. to the Municipality of Rome; this right was abolished in 1798. Fish was displayed on marble slabs. The market lasted until 1877 when the whole area was redesigned in conjunction with the construction of high walls on the river banks.

(left) Columns of Portico di Ottavia and S. Andrea dei Pescivendoli; (right) detail of its portal
In 1689 the guild of the fishmongers who worked at the market decorated a chapel of S. Angelo in Pescheria and turned it into an oratory dedicated to St. Andrew, who was a fisherman by trade (click here for a list of churches belonging to a guild). The oratory was given a separate entrance and a fine stucco above the portal portrayed the saint: in line with the traditional iconography the saint bears his cross, but he seems more interested in watching the symbols of his trade. The oratory is now used as a gift shop.

Portico di Ottavia

(left) Columns of Portico d'Ottavia to the left of the entrance and (behind them) a medieval tower; (centre) columns to the right of the main entrance (in the background the three columns of Temple to Apollo Sosiano); (right) capital of a temple dedicated to Juno (in Via S. Angelo in Pescheria)
The portico was initially built in the IInd century BC to surround two existing temples to Jupiter and Juno. It was rebuilt by Augustus and restored by Emperor Septimius Severus in 203 AD. The area of the portico included today's Piazza di Campitelli and it ended near S. Caterina dei Funari. Parts of the portico and of the temples are still inside the houses which were built in the following centuries.

S. Angelo in Pescheria

(left) Lateral view of the entrance showing in the background Teatro di Marcello; (right) view showing the difference in the ground level between the Ancient Roman period and the XVIth century
The portico houses the entrance to the church of S. Angelo in Pescheria (you may wish to see Portico d'Ottavia in a 1588 Guide to Rome). A passage connecting Portico d'Ottavia with nearby Teatro di Marcello was opened in recent years. The first church was built in the VIIIth century, but it has been modified several times and in a particularly extensive way in the XIXth century.

S. Ambrogio alla Massima

(left) Entrance to the church; (centre) XVIIth century fountain making use of a sarcophagus; (right-above) detail of the bell tower; (right-below) detail of the sarcophagus
The monastery of S. Ambrogio is located behind Portico d'Ottavia and part of it is today used for other purposes. Nowadays a fine 1626 portal built at the expense of Abbess Beatrice de Torres leads to a small warehouse of the municipal street cleansing services; torre means tower and the abbess placed a small tower on the top of the bell tower. A gate on the left leads to a courtyard with a small nymphaeum and to the church. The church, although largely modernized, retains some interesting memories of its past and in particular some finely decorated altars.

(left) Interior of the church; (right-above) marble altar from a church in Liguria; (right-below) detail of a marble altar bequeathed by the Barberini family
Casa dei Vailati e Albergo della Catena

Casa dei Vailati after its 1930s restoration
The print by Vasi shows on the right side a rather anonymous building. In 1930 it was partially demolished to highlight its original design. It belonged to the Vailati (or Vallati) family and it consisted of two houses of different periods (left XVIth century - right XIVth century).

Medieval, modern and ancient Rome: (left to right) Albergo della Catena, S. Rita da Cascia and Temple to Apollo Sosiano
The excavations of the area between Portico d'Ottavia and Teatro di Marcello have isolated two medieval buildings which housed Albergo della Catena, an inn which had for guests the merchants who came from the countryside to do business in Piazza Montanara.

Case dei Fabi

(left) Case dei Fabi; (right) courtyard of N. 13
The northern side of the street leading from Piazza di Pescaria to Piazza Giudia is flanked by Renaissance buildings. A recent restoration has given emphasis to the original architectural design of two houses belonging to the Fabi family, who pretended to descend from the Gens Fabia, a family who played a major role in Ancient Rome during the Republic. The buildings were embellished by loggias, which were closed at a later stage to obtain some more rooms. The street (Vico di Pescaria) was very narrow; in the general redesign of the area it was enlarged and it is now called Via del Portico d'Ottavia.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:

Chiesa di s. Michele Arcangelo in Pescheria Le anticaglie, che qui si vedono, sono credute del portico di Giunone, il quale essendosi abbruciato, fu ristaurato da Settimio Severo, Marco Aurelio, e Antonino Pio; ora per il sito basso, ed umido quì fa capo ogni sorta di pesce, e poi si sparge all'altre piazze. La chiesa di san Michele Arcangelo, che si vede fra quelle rovine, fu eretta da Bonifazio II., e fu detta in Summo Circi, cioè come spiegano, in capite Circi Flaminii, la quale poi per la demolizione del Circo rimasta desolata, fu riedificata quivi forse da Stefano III. che fu nell'anno 752. il quale l'arricchì di alcuni corpi di ss. Martiri levati da una chiesa, che era sulla strada di Tivoli, e furono li ss. Getulio, e Sinforosa sua moglie con sette loro figliuoli, e però si vedono in essa più memorie antiche, che ornamenti moderni. Chiesa e Monastero di s. Ambrogio della Massima Entrando poi nel vicolo accanto alla fontana, che sembra non aver riuscita, si trova questa antichissima chiesa insieme col monastero delle monache Benedettine. Fu già quivi un'antica chiesa dedicata a s. Stefano, ed appresso fuvvi la casa di s. Ambrogio arcivescovo di Milano, la quale essendo dalla sua sorella ridotta in forma di monastero, lo fece poi erede di tutto il suo avere. Indi Celestino I. nell' anno 432. avendo avuto nuova, che il Concilio Efesino aveva dichiarato, che la ss. Vergine era Madre di Dio, aggiunse alla salutazione Angelica quelle parole: Santa Maria Mater Dei, ed in onore di lei edificò alcune chiese, fra le quali fece questa di nuovo, e la dedicò alla ss. Vergine Madre di Dio, e fu detta in Ambrogio. L'anno poi 1606. fu nuovamente fatta da D. Beatrice Torres coll'ajuto però del Cardinale suo fratello Arcivescovo di Monreale, e fu ornata di belli altari con pitture, e marmi. La statua di s. Ambrogio nel primo altare a destra è di Orfeo Rufelli fatta sul modello di Francesco Fiammingo; la deposizione dalla Croce nell'altare, che siegue è del Romanelli, e il quadro sull'altare maggiore, di Ciro Ferri. Le pitture nella volta sono del Cozza, e quelle nella cappella della Madonna, del Cav. d'Arpino; il s. Stefano però nell'ultima cappella è opera insigne di Pietro da Cortona. Credono queste monache di avere nella loro chiesa il corpo di santa Candida; ma non sanno poi se da Cartagine fosse qui portato, o se ella venne a morire in questo monastero.

Next plate in Book 2: Piazza Giudia
Next step in Day 5 itinerary: Piazza Montanara
Next step in your tour of Rione Sant'Angelo: Teatro di Marcello