Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

You may wish to see a page on the history and fortifications of Perugia or on its two main piazzas first.

View of Borgo S. Pietro, with the churches of S. Domenico and S. Pietro, illustration from "Augustus J. C. Hare - Cities of Northern and Central Italy - 1878" (see the view as it is today)

There is a most lovely view from the upper windows of the Convent of S. Severo, over the city and the rainbow-tinted plain girdled by soft blue mountains tipped with snow. (..) All strangers will visit the open space which was once the platform of the fortress to enjoy the view, so unspeakably beautiful towards sunset, of the rich valley of the Tiber, with the churches of S. Domenico and S. Pietro crowning the nearer heights. Hare
Stretched on the crest of the hill that looks south from the top of the Perugian acropolis, the neighbourhood takes its name from the place of worship that contributed decisively to the development of this part of the city: the Benedictine Abbey of S. Pietro de' Cassinesi, the ancient cathedral of the town. Like all the other medieval neighbourhoods that today make up the historic centre of Perugia, this part of the city developed starting from the XIIth century as a result of the arrival of a rural population attracted by the growing wealth of the urban centre. The geographical conformation of the ground, however, conditioned the urban expansion of Perugia in a singular way, because it created the star shape of the city with the "rays" that start from the ancient Etruscan walls and extend along the ancient roads that connected Perugia with its countryside.

(left) Old Porta S. Croce or Porta dei Funari (rope makers) which gave access to Borgo S. Pietro; (right) Via Vibi which branches off Corso Cavour, the main street of the neighbourhood, and leads to Old Porta S. Croce; it is curved because its buildings reflect the existence of a Roman amphitheatre underneath them

Some of the little streets in out-of-the-way corners are so rugged and brown and silent that you may imagine them passages long since hewn by the pick-axe in a deserted stone-quarry.
Henry James - Italian Hours - 1874
The development of Borgo S. Pietro was conditioned by two elements from the beginning: the presence of the road to Rome, the most important communication route of Perugia, and that of S. Pietro de' Cassinesi, the Benedictine Abbey. The neighbourhood developed outside Porta Marzia around the church of S. Ercolano and then along the road that ran along the crest of the hill in a south-east direction. It was only very gradually that the welding between the Etruscan city and what later became one of the most important Benedictine abbeys in the region took place, culminating with the construction of Porta S. Pietro, which gave the neighbourhood that unitary and compact appearance that is still perceptible today. This was the ancient Via Papale, so called because it was the route by which the Popes or their representatives entered the town. In the Middle Ages Perugia hosted the papal court many times and it was also the site of five conclaves. Given the great importance of this road, already in 1276 it was recorded as "matonata" (paved with bricks) in a municipal document.

Renaissance portals at: (left) Corso Cavour; (centre) opposite S. Domenico with a partially readable inscription "solertia"; (right) Cappella di S. Giacomo inside Porta S. Pietro

Each of the neighbourhoods of the city had its own very precise social composition; Borgo S. Pietro boasted a conspicuous presence of wealthy families compared to decidedly more popular boroughs such as that of Porta Sant'Angelo. This element has influenced, as can still be perceived today, also the type of buildings that can be found in the boroughs. Along the papal street, in particular in the stretch between S. Ercolano and S. Domenico, some small palaces can be noticed, while tiny houses characterize the alleys that wind along the sides of the main road.
Today the population of Perugia is four times that it had when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, but its development did not occur in its historic centre, exception made for some public buildings on the site of the Papal fortress. Borgo S. Pietro soon lost its importance as the entrance to the town from Rome because it was replaced by a new route and thus it retains many portals which have not been modified.

(left) S. Domenico and its bell tower; (right) Gothic window on its southern side

The church of S. Domenico, built in 1632 from the designs of Carlo Maderno, occupies the site of the famous church built by Giovanni di Pisa in 1304, which had fallen into decay. The west end, however, with its superb Gothic window, has been preserved. (..) The massive campanile, reputed one of the largest in Italy, was even taller than it is at present, but was reduced by order of Paul III when the citadel was erected.
John Murray - Handbook for travellers in central Italy - 1843
The Basilica of S. Domenico is the largest church in all of Umbria. These dimensions were justified by the large attendance of faithful and by the prestige that the Dominican order enjoyed in the city. In origin the impact of the building on travellers, pilgrims and on the citizens themselves was even more grandiose because there were large open spaces around the church where the most important medieval fair of Perugia took place (Fiera di Ognissanti - November 1).
The bell tower had two orders of large triple lancet windows and a slender pyramidal spire. The structure was lowered and simplified in the year 1546 because its height could have been an obstacle to the artillery of the citadel, but nevertheless it is still an imposing building.
The most solemn religious events, such as the Corpus Christi procession, often ended at or started from S. Domenico. The church was declared a minor basilica for its high historical and artistic value by Pope John XXIII in 1961. The title is honorifical, but there are some privileges attached to it.

Part of the façade of old S. Domenico with alternating white and pink rows inside the cloister (which houses MANU, the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria)

The Dominicans or Preachers settled in Perugia around 1233, just twelve years after the death of their founder Dominic of Guzman. Their initial settlement arose in the open countryside not far from the Etruscan walls that enclosed the ancient core of the city. They had their first convent and place of worship in a very favourable location, near the ancient parish church of S. Stefano del Castellare, which is traditionally considered the second cathedral of Perugia, after S. Pietro and before S. Lorenzo. The church was completed between 1260 and 1264 when it was consecrated by Pope Clement IV, but important ceremonies had already been held there. The popes themselves promoted the settlement of the Dominicans in Perugia, starting with Pope Gregory IX, and they celebrated Mass in their church during their frequent visits to the town. In 1269, a library was established in the adjacent first convent, and the Municipality of Perugia entrusted the Dominicans with the custody of its records. Since the number of friars and the attendance of the faithful in this place had grown greatly, in ca 1290 it was decided to build a larger church.
Of S. Domenico Vecchio, the old church, only a few traces are visible today in the cloister of the convent.

S. Domenico: fresco portraying St. Sebastian in a Gothic chapel near the apse; all the figures are portrayed in XVIth century attire, including the saint

The design of the new building was attributed by Giorgio Vasari to Giovanni Pisano and its construction was sponsored by Cardinal Nicolò Boccasini, the future Pope Benedict XI, when he was vicar general of the Dominican order. The size of the new church, which received many donations and bequests from the people of Perugia, has led many scholars to see it almost as a counterpart to the Franciscan basilica in Assisi, which stands right in front of S. Domenico.
The works started from the old church and they took a very long time because the new church was consecrated only in 1459 by Pope Pius II. The construction site was enormous and documents show that near the church there was also a brick kiln. The chapels at the sides of the apse and that under the bell tower still contain interesting evidence of Umbrian painting of the XIVth, XVth and XVIth centuries.

S. Domenico: stained glass window behind the altar and detail showing angels playing musical instruments

The lancet window has two transoms, and is filled with the most beautiful painted glass, executed by Fra Bartolommeo of Perugia in 1411. Murray
The XVth century church was characterized by a multitude of stained glass windows that let in a soft light, increasing the charm of of the interior. Only the large stained glass window of the apse still shows their beauty. It was created by the Florentine Mariotto Nardo, whose signature with the date 1411 is visible on the dress of a saint. The Dominican friar Bartolomeo Graziani is indicated as a partner but it is likely that his contribution was limited to the theological scheme of the window. The upper part is a real crown of colours. The structure of the stained glass window in fact seems to have been designed just like a tree with a trunk made up of the figures of the saints and with the crown made up of angelic choirs who play musical instruments and praise Christ who is depicted inside a flower at the apex of the window.

S. Domenico - stained glass window: (above - top row) St. Paul, St. James the Apostle with Giacomo Graziani, the donor, the Annunciation, St. John the Evangelist and St. Peter; (below - third row) saints related or dear to the Dominican Order

At the base are depicted four episodes from the life of St. James and the stars of the Graziani family, who commissioned the work. The entire stained glass window is conceived as a strongly hierarchical structure, which starting from the base and then rising upwards represents a vision of the celestial city and a path towards it. In the second row are portrayed the holy doctors of the church, including St. Thomas Aquinas. In the third row we find martyrs such as St. Stephen, the patron saints of the city Costanzo, Ercolano and Lawrence and St. Dominic. In the top row are the most important figures of the Christian faith.

S. Domenico - chapel next to the apse: (left) Monument to Pope Benedict XI; (right) detail of its upper section and of a spiral Cosmati column with small figures

Its great treasure, however, is the Monument of Benedict XI. justly considered as one of the finest works of the revival. It was erected to the memory of the murdered pontiff, who is represented in a reclining posture, full of grace and dignity, inside a Gothic canopy, with two angels drawing aside the drapery. The canopy is supported by two spiral columns encrusted with mosaic; under its upper part are the Madonna and Saints. This able pope, whose virtues and talents had raised him from an humble station to the highest honours of the church, vainly endeavoured to reconcile the Bianchi and Neri of Florence, and to procure the recall of the latter (including Dante) from exile; he had to contend, on the one hand, with the most unscrupulous monarch of Christendom, Philip le Bel, and on the other with the cardinals, who were jealous of his independent authority. Benedict during his residence at Perugia had issued two bulls against Guillaume de Nogaret, and the other parties implicated in the seizure of Boniface VIII. at Anagni. Philip le Bel considered himself compromised by these excommunications, and, fearful that the pope might adopt more direct measures, he employed Cardinal Orsini and Cardinal Le Moine to compass his immediate death. This was done by sending a person disguised as a servant of the nuns of Santa Petronilla to present to the pope, in the name of the abbess, a basket of poisoned figs. (..) The unhappy pontiff struggled eight days against the poison, and at length died, July 4, 1304. Murray
The dramatic conclave that followed was held in Perugia and it ended with the election of the Archbishop of Bordeaux, Pope Clement V. Pope Benedict XI wanted to be buried in the bare earth, but his popularity and his very strong bond with the Dominicans led to the erection of this fine monument. It was moved from its original location in S. Domenico Vecchio in 1700 and it was permanently placed in this chapel in 1959.

Monument to Pope Benedict XI: detail

It was during the session of the Sacred College at Perugia, that Giovanni Pisano (*) was invited by Cardinal Aquasparta to make the monument of the late pope, which still stands in the church of S. Domenico. Upon a base of considerable height, and protected by a lofty Gothic canopy, sustained by twisted columns, richly inlaid with mosaic, into whose spirals diminutive figures are fantastically introduced, stands the sarcophagus upon which lies the effigy of the pontiff, at whose head and feet stand angels holding back curtains, and looking down upon it with a mingled expression of surprise and sorrow. This striking and novel monumental feature we shall henceforth meet with in many other tombs. (..) The honour of having first conceived it belongs to Arnolfo del Cambio, if (as is supposed) he made the tomb of Cardinal de Braye at Orvieto, within twenty years after that prelate's death.
Charles Perkins - Tuscan Sculptors - 1864
(*) Today the monument is attributed to Lorenzo Maitani, an architect and sculptor from Siena who designed the Cathedral of Orvieto (see a sculpture he placed above the portal of the Cathedral with angels holding back curtains).

S. Domenico: cloister of the convent

To the left of the church is what was once the Dominican convent which in 1455 was enriched with an elegant Renaissance cloister and a large library. In 1814 during the French occupation of the Papal State the church and the convent were robbed of much of their artistic and cultural heritage. In 1860 a military hospital was installed in the convent and subsequently other military bodies. The Dominicans were only able to return to a small part of the convent after 1910. During WWII the convent was first the accommodation of the German troops in the city, then it housed the homeless. In 1948 the structure was assigned to the archaeological museum and to the local State Archives.

S. Domenico: façade

The XVth century was the period of greatest wealth of the Dominican community of Perugia; the church had a bold and splendid Gothic structure with very high vaults with pointed arches which were supported by octagonal pillars. On the sides there were two orders of large windows with painted glass. Unfortunately structural failures led to the partial collapse of the naves. The radical reconstruction of the building started in 1629, based on a project by Carlo Maderno, a leading Roman architect. The monumental façade looks bare, without the travertine cladding that was in the original project and the stained glasses which enriched the ancient rose window and the lateral eyes.

S. Domenico - interior: main nave redesigned by Carlo Maderno

The reconstruction of the church was particularly encouraged by Pope Urban VIII and led to major changes, in particular in the sense of spatial unity and brightness. The light in particular was very different. Upon entering the building, one is immediately struck by the imposing structure designed by Maderno; its whiteness is mitigated only by the polychromy of the large stained glass window of the apse.

S. Domenico - Chapel of Madonna del Voto (in the old part of the church): (left) altar to St. Lawrence by Agostino di Duccio (1451); (right) its upper section; the image used as background for this page shows a niche of one of the small statues

This marble and terracotta altar was initially placed in the nave and it was dedicated to St. Lawrence. In 1484 it was moved into a side chapel where it underwent a series of changes and additions because the chapel was dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary. Notwithstanding these modifications it remains one of the most significant evidences of the early Renaissance in Perugia. It is a work by Agostino di Duccio, a Florentine sculptor and architect whose masterpiece is the Oratory of S. Bernardino in the western part of Perugia.

S. Domenico: (left/centre) 1648 Monument to Elisabetta Cantucci de Colis by Alessandro Algardi (see an extraordinary bust by Algardi); (right) 1694 Monument to Alessandro Benincasa by Domenico Guidi

The bare interior of S. Domenico is to a great extent a result of the French spoliations and of the sale of paintings and statues made by the Dominicans when their estates were confiscated by the Italian Kingdom in the 1860s. Some small funerary monuments show that the wealthiest families of Perugia commissioned them to the leading sculptors of Rome and that they were designed according to patterns which were in fashion at the time, e.g. portraying the dead in the act of praying.

S. Domenico : (left) Organ (1660); (right) Monument to Giacomo Colonna, commander of the fortress of Perugia (d. 1731) (now in the chapel of the Monument to Benedict XI, but in origin in another chapel)

February the 2nd 1659. It beginning to be night, wee went to the Chiesa Nova, where there is most incomparable Musicke every Sunday and holy day at Night, with the Organs and 4 Voyces, and wee heard here such sweete Musicke, that a man could not thinke his paines il spent, if he should come two thousand mile, if he were sure to be recompensed with nothing else, but to heare such most melodious voyces.
Francis Mortoft's Journal of his travels in France and Italy in 1659
Mortoft is one of the many foreign travellers who were impressed by the beautiful music they could listen to in Rome. You can see some of the very elaborate and imposing organs which were built in Rome in a separate page. They provided a pattern for the organ of S. Domenico.

Wells with the symbol of the town in Borgo S. Pietro: (left) opposite S. Domenico (in the background the entrance to MANU inside the former cloister); (right) along Corso Cavour

The square in front of S. Domenico was named after the philosopher Giordano Bruno, a Dominican monk, at the beginning of the XXth century, when a widespread anticlerical sentiment animated the new Italian ruling class. In the centre of the square there is a well dating back to the XIIIth century, where the date 1452 engraved on the parapet indicates a renovation. On the same travertine slab there is the monogram of the name of Christ in Latin. A similar well is in a nearby small square along the main street. The aqueduct which supplied Fontana Maggiore did not reach Borgo S. Pietro.

S. Maria di Colle along Corso Cavour (redesigned in 1771, today a religious concert hall)

Similar to what occurred in Rome, Perugia had a high number of nunneries, hostels for the poor and the pilgrims, orphanages and other religious institutions. Several of them were aligned along the main street of Borgo S. Pietro and after 1860 they were turned into barracks, public schools and other secular facilities. S. Maria di Colle was until 1957 a parish church so it was not affected by the government decisions. It now houses a diocesan music school named after Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643), an Italian composer who introduced many types of musical variations within the liturgical confines of a mass.

Porta S. Pietro or Porta Romana: external front by Agostino di Duccio

Porta S. Pietro is part of the medieval city walls. Its structure is rather complex: on the side towards the town it retains its XIVth century appearance, whereas that towards S. Pietro de' Cassinesi shows an imposing Renaissance façade designed by Agostino di Duccio. He was a Florentine artist who was exiled from his city and who worked in Rimini with Leon Battista Alberti on the decoration of Tempio Malatestiano. The gate is unfinished, yet it is a very innovative attempt to evoke classical architecture without copying it (you may wish to see Porta S. Spirito in Rome, another unfinished Renaissance gate).

Porta S. Pietro: (left) detail of the portal which was designed bearing in mind that of Arco Etrusco; (right) view across the gate towards S. Pietro de' Cassinesi

At the end of the long street, outside the heavy but handsome Porta Romana, we reach the Benedictine convent of S. Pietro de' Casinensi. Hare

Move to Walls and Gates, The Two Piazzas, S. Pietro de' Cassinesi, The Tomb of the Volumni, The Archaeological Museum or wander about to see other churches, palaces and fountains.