Apr 24

Sant’Angelo Castle

By GabbiaServices Monuments No Comments

Sant’Angelo Castle

Sant'Angelo Castle

Sant’Angelo Castle in Rome is perhaps one of the most representative and impressive monuments of the Eternal City.

Unmissable stop for those wishing to admire one of the most exciting views of the city and for photography enthusiasts.

The large fortress overlooking the Tiber indeed offers truly superlative views of Rome.

For this reason, if you are thinking of taking a tour in Rome, a stop at Castel Sant’Angelo certainly cannot be missing from your program.

Origin

It all began in 153 A.D. when the emperor Hadrian asked the architect Demetriano to build a funeral mausoleum for himself and his family, inspired by the model of the Mausoleum of Augustus, but with gigantic dimensions.

The works lasted several years and were completed by Antonino Pio in 139 .

This imposing monument is in fact known also as The mausoleum of Augustus but also Cagliostra Over the centuries, in fact, Castel Sant’Angelo has had many destinations, including that of prison.

From the name everyone would think it is a castle but it is not so.

In fact Castel Sant’Angelo was built to be the sepulcher of the emperor Hadrian and his descendants.

Features and Dimensions

The cubic base is covered with Lunese marble with decorative friezes with Bucrani.

The names of the emperors buried there were also written along this frieze,

and the structure above the cube, on the other hand, is covered in travertine.

At the apex there was the sculpture of a bronze chariot headed by the emperor Hadrian.

It has a height of 48 meters.

Furthermore, Castel Sant ‘Angelo is connected to the Campo Marzio by means of the Elio bridge.

It is located between the Prati district and Borgo Pio.

Castel Sant’Angelo – Wikipedia

In the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, Castel Sant’Angelo was instead attributed a defensive function.

For this reason, the emperor Honorius included it in the Aurelian walls.

The appearance of the monument then turns into a fortress.

In fact, Caste Sant’Angelo still appears today as a mighty impregnable fortress.

Later, Theodoric turned it into a prison.

Here the inmates were kept in terrible conditions.

Obviously the richest inmates could have the privilege of being locked up in more luxurious prisons located in the upper part of the castle, called Cagliostra.

The property of Castel Sant ‘Angelo was disputed between many families and eventually ended up among the possessions of the Orsini family.

In 1200 Pope Nicholas III, belonging to the Orsini family, ceded it to the church during his pontificate.

It was he himself who wanted the construction of the Passetto di Borgo, or an underground tunnel that connects the castle to the Vatican.

In this way, in case of enemy attacks, the popes could escape to a safe place using a secret passage.

In fact, the passage was used on several occasions for this very purpose.

From the Renaissance to the present day

Starting from 1400, Castel Sant’Angelo began to be embellished.

Courtyards, arcades and papal apartments with luxurious decorations were added.

Today Castel Sant’Angelo houses a permanent national museum and temporary exhibitions.

It preserves numerous rather heterogeneous collections, merged in different historical moments.

Visiting the castle, it is possible to walk along the mighty ramparts overlooking the river and admire a poignant, truly breathtaking, 360 ° view over the city.

Why Sant’Angelo Castle?

Famous is the terrace of the Angel so called because a colossal statue of the Archangel Michael was placed there.

The statue refers to the plague that occurred in the period of Gregory the Great.

The saint decided to make a procession to the castle and there he had the vision of the angel in the act of sheathing his sword.

This vision ended the epidemic.

From this anecdote, here is the current name of “Sant’Angelo Castle”.

Gabbiaservices

Apr 18

Love0

Condotti Street

By GabbiaServices Monuments No Comments

Condotti Street

Condotti Street, known simply as via Condotti, is one of the best known streets in Rome.

Located in the northern area of the historic center (the so-called Trident), it connects Corso Street to Spanish Steps – Gabbia Services

Origins

Opened in the first half of the sixteenth century under the pontificate of Paul III Farnese and continued under Julius III.

The street, so called because it led (and still leads) to Trinità dei Monti, also included Fontanella di Borghese Street and Clementino Street.

Trinitatis Street

Street Before assuming the mystical name of “Trinitatis Street”, this road, albeit in a reduced format, must certainly have been part of that modest road complex that descended from the Horti Luculliani towards the lower area of Campo Marzio.

As proof that our road followed the layout of an ancient Roman road, a stretch of paving was discovered at the corner with Corso Street

In the Middle Ages, various houses of little importance formed a first urban fabric in the street, which was defining itself after centuries.

Precisely between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a period followed by the Baroque phase that still appears today.

Despite the transformations made in the modern phase (19th and 20th centuries).

Why Condotti Street?

The “Trinitatis Street” assumed the current name of the Condotti when Pope Gregory XIII made the conduits (in Latin “ductus”) of the Acqua Vergine pass underground.

According to the legend, however, the term “condotti” derives from the Latin “ducti”, but in the sense of “led, led”,

with reference to Agrippa’s soldiers who in 19 BC, thirsty, were “led” by a girl (in Latin “virgo”) to the source of the water, which was given the name of Acqua Vergine.

Condotti Street, Today.

The street today is known by tourists from all over the world as the favorite destination for luxury shopping.

In fact, it constitutes a catwalk of prestigious fashion houses and prestigious brands, where Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hermès, Prada, Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana have their best boutiques.

Gabbiaservices

Apr 06

Love0

The Colosseum

By GabbiaServices Monuments No Comments

The Colosseum

The Colosseum, originally called the Flavian Amphitheater, stands in the archaeological heart of the city of Rome.

Origins

The amphitheater was built in the Flavian period on an area on the eastern edge of the Roman Forum.

Its construction was started by Vespasian in 70 AD. and inaugurated by Tito in 80, with further changes made during Domitian’s empire in 90.

The building, known as the Colosseum because of a colossal statue that stood nearby, until the end of the ancient age, shows of great popular appeal, such as hunts and gladiator games.

The building was, and still remains today, a spectacle in itself.

It is in fact the largest amphitheater in the world, able to offer surprising scenographic equipment, as well as services for the spectators.

Able to hold an estimated number of spectators between 50,000 and 87,000.

It is the most important Roman amphitheater, as well as the most imposing monument of ancient Rome that has come down to us.

Symbol of the glories of the empire, the Amphitheater has changed its face and function over the centuries, offering itself as a structured space but open to the Roman community.

Colosseo – Wikipedia

Dimensions

Building forms an ellipse of 527 m in perimeter, with axes measuring 187.5 and 156.5 m.

The arena inside measures 86 × 54 m, with an area of 3 357 m².

Current height reaches 48.5 m, but originally it reached 52 m.

Decline

In 438 with the abolition of gladiator games at the behest of Valentinian III the amphitheater undergoes a slow and progressive decline so much so that it was used in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as a quarry for materials,

also used for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica,

and as shelter for animals and home for craft workshops and homes,

while the process of its Christianization is long.

From the romantic period in which the charm of the ruin attracted writers and artists,

it soon passed to that of systematic excavations and restorations.

Today

Today the Amphitheater is a monument to the works of human ingenuity that survive the time and still presents itself as a welcoming and dynamic structure that offers a wide overview of the interior spaces, but also evocative views of the city when you look out from the external archways.

It periodically hosts temporary exhibitions related to the themes of antiquity and its relationship with the contemporary, as well as modern shows.

This result of events and experiences has made the Amphitheater a place that is renewed every day, meaningful for everyone and capable of telling everyone a story.

Rome is not just a city, but an open-air history book …

April 2021