Home

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
What's New!

Detailed Sitemap

All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Page revised in January 2010.

To the Italian visitors of my web site

Spiaggia verso la Bocca della Verità (Book 5) (Map C3) (Day 5) (View C10) (Rione Ripa)

In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
Cloaca Massima
Casa dei Pierleoni (S. Aniano)

The Plate (No. 95)

Spiaggia verso la Bocca della Verità


In this plate Giuseppe Vasi wanted to show Velabro, the strip of land between the Tiber and Monte Palatino, which is regarded as the cradle of Ancient Rome. At Vasi's time the area was named after Bocca della Verità, the relief portraying a human face with an open mouth which is believed to close upon the hand of any perjurer.
In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Ruins of Ponte Palatino; 2) Casa di Pilato; 3) Monte Palatino; 4) S. Maria del Sole (Tempio di Vesta); 5) Cloaca Massima; 6) S. Maria in Cosmedin (the church where Bocca della Verità is located). The view shows also the tower of Campidoglio (far left) and two churches facing each other (in the centre): S. Giovanni Decollato and S. Egidio dei Ferrari.
The view is taken from the green dot in the small 1748 map here below. The small map shows also 7) Casa dei Pierleoni (and the lost church of S. Aniano); 8) S. Giovanni Decollato; 9) S. Egidio dei Ferrari. 2), 3), 4), 6), 8) and 9) are shown in detail in other pages.

Small ViewSmall View

Today

The view today
The view in January 2010

The view is quite different owing to the high walls on the river bank which partly hide the buildings behind them. The ruins of a bridge shown in the plate do not exist any longer; Vasi makes reference to Ponte Palatino, but in other plates he calls it Ponte Rotto.

The view today
Details which can be seen by walking a few steps along the opposite river bank: (left) Torre del Campidoglio; (centre) Casa di Pilato; (right) Tempio di Vesta and Palatino (Orti Farnesiani)

Cloaca Massima

Cloaca Massima
Details of Cloaca Massima

Rome was founded on the Palatine and then it expanded on the Capitol (Campidoglio) which became the religious centre of the city; the area between the two hills where later on the Romans built the Fora was subject to becoming marshy; according to tradition at the time of King Tarquinius Priscus (Tarquin the Elder) the Romans built a sewer (Cloaca Maxima) which discharged the excess water into the river. The sewer was modified several times and what we see today is a conduit of the IInd century BC. A mill which made use of the sewer stream is still visible near S. Giorgio al Velabro. Other minor sewers drained the excess water from the low areas of the city.

Casa dei Pierleoni

Casa dei Pierleoni
(left) Casa dei Pierleoni; (right) baroque coat of arms

The architect and archaeologist Antonio Munoz (1884-1960) played an important role in the design of the "imperial" perspectives which in the 1930s isolated some of the most imposing monuments of Ancient Rome. He supervised the opening of Via del Mare which led to the loss of Piazza Montanara and Ospizio di S. Galla and to the redesign of the area near S. Maria in Cosmedin. He set his residence in a medieval house which had belonged to the Pierleoni, next to S. Giovanni Decollato: the house was actually pulled down and rebuilt, but the frames of the small windows come from the old building. Although Munoz disliked baroque art, he decorated the entrance to his house with a coat of arms of that period.
The small church of S. Aniano (now lost) was located near this house. It belonged to the guild of the cobblers and it was dedicated to St. Agnan of Orleans, who was their patron saint (click here for a list of churches belonging to a guild).
The Pierleoni acquired great importance during the XIIth century.

Next plate in Book 5: Monte Aventino e Vestigi del Ponte Sublicio
Next step in Day 5 itinerary: Anticaglie presso il Ponte Palatino
Next step in your tour of Rione Ripa: Anticaglie presso il Ponte Palatino