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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.
Page revised in April 2009.

To the Italian visitors of my web site

Ripa Grande (seen from South) (Book 5) (Map C3) (Day 5 and Day 6) (View C11) (Rione Ripa) and (Rione Trastevere)

In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
S. Maria del Priorato
The Arsenal
Arco di S. Lazzaro
Navali Antichi

The Plate (No. 98)

Ripa Grande (seen from South)

Giuseppe Vasi showed Ripa Grande from north (plate 97) and from south; in this second plate his main objective was the residence of the Grand Masters of the Knights of Jerusalem (who after the fall of Jerusalem were called Knights of Rhodes and after the fall of Rhodes, Knights of Malta) on the south-western edge of the Aventine hill. On the right side of the plate he showed what was left of the "Antichi Navali" by this meaning the old Roman harbour on the Tiber. On the left side outside the walls Vasi represented the Arsenal built by Pope Clement XI.
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) Priorato dei Cavalieri Gerosolimitani (Knights of Jerusalem); 2) Ruins of the Roman harbour; 3) Dome of S. Luca; 4) Ospizio di S. Michele; 5) Women's jail (in Ospizio di S. Michele); 6) Arsenal; 7) Custom-house. The small map does not show 3). 3), 4), and 5) are shown in detail in other pages.

Small ViewSmall Map

Today

The view today
The Priory of the Maltese Order and S. Maria del Priorato

The beach from which Vasi took this view has disappeared, because of the changes made to the river bed to facilitate the flow of the water. Vasi enlarged the dimensions of the buildings of Rome at the centre of the etching.
Today there are many more trees on the Aventine which partially hide the property of the Maltese Order.

The view today (2)
View towards the centre of Rome: (left to right) Tower of Campidoglio, Torre delle Milizie, Dome of S. Luca, S. Maria in Cosmedin (the enlargement shows the dome of S. Luca and behind it the upper part of SS. Domenico e Sisto)

In order to see the dome of S. Luca (SS. Martina e Luca) it is necessary to move forward and stand on a modern bridge near the Aventine.

Santa Maria del Priorato

S. Maria del PrioratoThe Decoration
S. Maria del Priorato and details of its decoration

The church one can see in the plate was remodelled a few years after Vasi's etching by Giovan Battista Piranesi. Piranesi is best known for his etchings of Rome; he was commissioned the redesign of the church and of the adjoining square by the Grand Prior Giovanni Battista Rezzonico, brother of Pope Clement XIII. It is the only architectural work by Piranesi who covered the church façade with an extensive and bizarre decoration. While anticipating some features of Neoclassicism, its richness shows traces of the Roman Baroque tradition. The tower on the capital is a tribute to the coat of arms of the Rezzonico.
Some Grand Masters are buried in the church; you may wish to see a page on the 2008 funeral of Grand Master Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie.

The Arsenal

The Arsenal
(left) The Arsenal seen from the river; (right) coat of arms of Pope Clement XI

Pope Clement XI tried to facilitate the arrival and storage of supplies in Rome. He built Porto di Ripetta a river harbour for receiving commodities from Sabina and Umbria, he enlarged the granaries at Piazza di Termini and he built a shipyard (It. arsenale) at Ripa Grande. Its main building is characterized by the use of Gothic arches, a very unusual feature in Rome.

The Arsenal
(left) Entrance to the Arsenal; (right) coat of arms of Pope Pius IX

The Arsenal was rehabilitated by Pope Pius IX, who was pope from 1846 to 1878; a rather strange decision because at that time transportation was already based on railways and steamers.
Today (April 2009) the main building is used as a warehouse by a small business.

Arco di S. Lazzaro

Arco di S. Lazzaro
(left) Arco di S. Lazzaro; (right) "Horrea", walls of the ancient Roman warehouses

At the foot of the Aventine an arch of the horrea (the warehouses of the ancient Roman harbour where commodities were stored) is called Arco di S. Lazzaro, after a (lost) nearby little church. Other remains of the horrea can be found in the courtyards of some buildings of modern Testaccio.

New discovery
A newspaper (La Repubblica) reporting on the discovery of a statue of Artemis or Isis near Arco di S. Lazzaro in February 2009 (now at Palazzo Altemps)

The area between Arco di S. Lazzaro and the river was called Marmorata (of the marbles) because it was used for unloading marbles and stones and Via Marmorata was the street leading from there to Porta S. Paolo. It was a narrow street which passed through the arch. It was replaced in the late XIXth century by a modern alley which allowed the transit of tramways. In 2009, during maintenance repairs to the rails, the beautiful statue of a goddess was found, thus showing that there are still discoveries to be made in Rome.

Navali Antichi

Navali Antichi
(left) Ancient Roman warehouses along the river; (right) stones and broken columns found in the same site

In the XVIIIth century the ruins of the Roman docks along the Tiber were still clearly visible. Pius IX promoted their excavation (a fountain in Lungotevere Testaccio celebrates this initiative). The enlargement of the river around Testaccio stopped the excavations which were resumed in the 1990s. They led to a better understanding of how the Romans managed the handling of the enormous quantities of commodities which arrived from the provinces.

Navali Antichi
(left) A reconstructed ancient Roman wall; (right) reconstruction of the bull heads used to tie the ships

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Chiesa di s. Maria del Priorato
Nell'estrema parte del monte Aventino, ove è questa chiesa, si tiene esservi stato il tempio della Buona Dea, alla quale sagrificavano le sole donne. Perciò i fedeli per rivoltare il profano in sagro, v i eressero la chiesa in onore della ss. Vergine, che per essere stata una delle 20. Abazie di Roma, bisogna dire, che vi fosse unito monastero di monaci. Fu ristaurata da s. Pio V. che vi fece l'abitazione contigua, e fu data in commenda ai Cavalieri Gerosolimitani col titolo di Priorato.
Prima di scendere da questo monte, farebbe bene fare ricerca, ove fosse la spelonca, nella quale Ercole ritrovò li suoi bovi, che rubati li aveva Cacco famoso ladro di quei contorni, il quale per non essere scoperto aveva condotti i bovi per la coda, perchè camminando all'indietro, non si riconoscesse dalle pedate ove fossero andati. Ma lo scaltro Ercole invece di andare esaminando il termine delle pedate, andò appresso al principio delle medesime, e sentendo poi muggire i bovi, che chiusi erano nella spelonca, rovesciò la porta, uccise Cacco, e vittorioso si riportò i suoi bovi. Questa grotta o tana, non potè essere altrove ,che in una delle due salite a questo monte, una verso la Bocca della verità, e l'altra presso il baluardo di Paolo III.
Navali antichi
Nella spiaggia tra il monte Aventino, ed il Testaccio furono gli antichi navali, cioè lo sbarco delle navi, che venivano dal mare cariche di mercanzie; perciò eravi un continuo emporio, ornato di portici con statue, e quantità di magazzini, granarj, e botteghe di merci, vedendosene ancora presso la spiaggia le rovinate mura con porte, e finestre; e sulla strada si vede l'
Arco di s. Lazzaro
Questo rozzo, e cadente arco fatto di materia laterizia sembra essere molto antico, e ne' secoli passati si diceva de' sette Vespilloni; ma poi essendovi fatta accanto una cappella dedicata a s. Lazzaro prese il di lui nome.
Arsenale e Granaj dell'Annona
Da Clemente XI. fu eretto l'Arsenale doppio per la fabbrica de' legni da navigare per fiume, e da molti altri Pontefici più antichi li granai per riporvi i grani, che vengono dal mare per servigio dell'Annona di questa Città.

Next plate in Book 5: Veduta delle antiche Mura di Roma
Next step in Day 5 itinerary: Veduta delle antiche Mura di Roma
Next step in Day 6 itinerary: Chiesa di S. Francesco a Ripa
Next step in your tour of Rione Ripa: Rovine del Ponte Sublicio