In this page:
The Strangers' Quarter
Caffè Greco and Babington's Tea Rooms
S. Atanasio dei Greci, Via del Babuino and Teatro d'Alibert
Calcogafia di Mariano Vasi
Palazzo Boncompagni Cerasi
In a previous page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
SS. Trinità dei Monti and Obelisco Sallustiano
Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps)
Fontana della Barcaccia
Palazzo di Propaganda Fide
Palazzo di Spagna
Colonna dell'Immacolata
Vasi's Second Plate for Piazza di Spagna

The Strangers' Quarter

XVIIIth century buildings belonging to the monastery of SS. Trinità dei Monti: (left) building where John Keats passed away in 1821 (it now houses the Keats Shelley Museum; the English poet was buried at the Protestant Cemetery of Rome); (right) former Albergo del Monte d'Oro where Charles de Brosses and Johann Caspar Goethe, the father of Johann Wolfgang, stayed in 1740

The French kings, also as part of a diplomatic strategy, made large donations to the Minims of SS. Trinità dei Monti, who invested them in the construction of a series of elegant buildings at the sides of the steps and in Piazza di Spagna; they can be easily identified as they were decorated with the French fleurs-de-lis; the buildings were split into apartments which were rented to foreigners or they housed inns and cafés (see a page on Flats for Rent in XVIIIth century Rome).
Foreigners stayed for extended periods in order to attend some great religious ceremonies and to enjoy the Roman carnival with its shows and races.

Caffè Greco and Babington's Tea Rooms

In 1760 a certain Nicola di Maddalena levantino (as stated by parish records) opened a coffee-shop at the beginning of Via Condotti which soon became popular among the many foreigners living in the area. Most likely Nicola came from one of the Greek islands belonging to Venice and this explains the name of his shop.
Caffè (del) Greco had to face the competition of Caffè degli Inglesi (now lost) which opened in that same year in Piazza di Spagna. Some rooms of Caffè Greco are decorated with paintings showing views of Rome.
Babington's Tea Rooms, a very English establishment, in a way replacing Caffè degli Inglesi, was opened in 1893 in the building to the left of the Spanish Steps (click here to learn more about the historical shops of Rome).

S. Atanasio dei Greci and Via del Babuino

(left) Studio Tadolini, il Babuino and S. Atanasio dei Greci; (centre) façade; (right-above) clock the hand of which is a Boncompagni dragon; (right-below) dedicatory inscription in Greek

Pope Gregory XIII made a major effort to retain or bring into the Roman Catholic Church some Christian communities whose rites and practices were not fully consistent with those established by the Council of Trent. For the education of Greek Catholic priests he built a college and next to it a church dedicated to St. Athanasius of Alexandria, a IVth century theologian, who was highly regarded by the Greeks. The church, which is very similar to SS. Trinità dei Monti is attributed to Giacomo Della Porta (you may wish to see it in a 1588 Guide to Rome).
The white building to the left of the church was the studio of the Tadolini, a family of sculptors; the studio was founded by Adamo Tadolini, a scholar of Antonio Canova (see a page on the Bompiani, a family of painters who also had their studio near Piazza di Spagna).

(left) Via del Babuino leading to Piazza del Popolo; (right) il Babuino
In 1525 Pope Clement VII opened the first section of Via Clementia, a new street between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza della Trinità (the old name of Piazza di Spagna); Pope Paul III completed the street and gave it his name, but the Romans called it Via del Babuino (Baboon) because of a small fountain built there before 1584; the fountain was decorated with an ancient statue portraying Silenus, the drunken companion of Dionysus, but the figure looked so ugly that it was popularly called il Babuino; it is one of the Talking Statues of Rome, together with Marforio, Pasquino, Madama Lucrezia, Abate Luigi and il Facchino. Between 1738 and 1877 the fountain was placed in a niche of Palazzo Boncompagni Cerasi.
A small street off Via del Babuino is named Via del Teatro d'Alibert after a theatre which was there until 1863 when it was destroyed by fire; it was built in 1718 and at that time it was the largest theatre in Rome and it was especially known for carnival balls.

Calcografia di Mariano Vasi

(left) The whole XVIIIth century building; (centre/right) detail of its decoration

Giuseppe Vasi lived in an apartment inside Palazzo Farnese, where he received his customers; his son Mariano opened a shop at the beginning of Via del Babuino (from Piazza di Spagna); it was referred to as calcografia as it sold prints made from engravings on copper (khalkos in Greek). The address quoted by Mariano Vasi is Via del Babuino 122, which most likely coincides with the current 120. Conveniently located in the centre of the Strangers' Quarter, the shop had in stock all sorts of books and prints needed by the educated traveller. Mariano updated several times his father's Guide to Rome in eight itineraries.

Palazzo Boncompagni Cerasi

(left) Small portal decorated with the Boncompagni dragon; (centre) main portal; (right) detail of the niche which housed "il Babuino" in 1738-1877

In the XVIIIth century many noble Roman families invested heavily in large buildings which were split into apartments and rented to the members of the emerging middle class and to the foreigners who visited Rome. Those who wanted a prestigious place to stay are likely to have asked the Boncompagni to rent them an apartment in their building in Via del Babuino.
The decoration of the small portals is attributed to Domenico Gregorini and clearly shows the influence of Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:

Strada del Babuino Da una brutta statua, che sta a giacere sopra un fonte prende il nome questa spaziosaa e nobile strada, la quale cammina dritta sotto le falde del monte Pincio, che ne' tempi andati dicevansi orti di Napoli; ora però sono tutte occupate da nobili casamenti, e da chiese e conventi. In primo luogo si trova a destra la Chiesa di S. Atanasio, e collegio dei Greci Da Gregorio XIII. fu eretta questa chiesa, e collegio per li giovani di nazione Greca, acciò apprendessero le scienze, e non si perdesse l'uso dell'antico rito e ceremoniale Greco. Ne fece il disegno Giacomo della Porta; il prospetto della chiesa però è di Martin Lunghi, e le pitture sono di Francesco Tibaldi. Nell' ultimo vicolo quasi incontro evvi il magnifico Teatro di Alibert detto delle Dame Porta questo un tal nome dal suo facitore che con somma splendidezza e magnifica proporzione lo distinse fra tutti gli altri, che sono in Roma destinati per li drammi musicali. In questa contrada, che negli ultimi secoli dicevasi gli orti di Napoli, si crede essere stata la Naumachia di Domiziano amplissima, nella quale radunavasi tant'acqua, che a guisa di un mare, vi sì facevano i combattimenti navali per trattenimento del popolo Romano, e per esercitare ancora la gioventù a guerreggiare per mare. Finita poi la battaglia, e ritiratesi le navi, spariva in un baleno tutta l'acqua con piacere e maraviglia degli spettatori, e perchè il suolo restasse subito asciutto era tutto coperto di arene, acciò in ultimo vi si celebravano i giuochi de' Gladiatori.

You have completed Book 2! Move to Book 3 - plate 41 - Basilica di S. Pietro in Vaticano
Next step in Day 2 itinerary: Villa Medici sul Pincio
Next step in Day 3 itinerary: Collegio di Propaganda Fide
Next step in your tour of Rione Campo Marzio: Porta Pinciana