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Porta S. Pancrazio (Book 1) (Day 6) (Map D3) (Rione Trastevere)

In this page:
 The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
 Today's view
 The gate
 The Walls between Porta S. Pancrazio and Porta Cavalleggeri
 Janiculum
 Villa Spada

The Plate (No. 13)

Porta S. Pancrazio

Porta S. Pancrazio was erected under Urbanus VIII on the site of Porta Aurelia. It was the key gate of the new walls built to protect the Janiculum and the Pope from attacks coming from the sea. The view is taken from the green dot in the small 1748 map here below which shows: 1) Porta S. Pancrazio; 2) Area of the Janiculum where the Monument to Garibaldi is located; 3) Villa Spada.

Small View

Today

The view today

Porta S. Pancrazio was totally destroyed in 1849. It was not protecting the Pope, but the short-lived Mazzini's Repubblica Romana. For a month Garibaldi resisted the French troops of General Oudinot who had landed in Civitavecchia.
Learn more about this event.

The Gate

The Gate

The present gate was rebuilt in 1854 by Virginio Vespignani and the inscription celebrates the return of Pius IX. The coats of arms are an interesting attempt to concile Baroque themes with Neoclassical style.

The Walls between Porta S. Pancrazio and Porta Cavalleggeri

Walls between Porta S. Pancrazio and Porta Cavalleggeri

The walk along the walls offers fine views over the Vatican. Near Porta Cavalleggeri a large coat of arms of Pius V testifies to an initial attempt to expand the Vatican walls.
 

Janiculum

Garibaldi

The site from which Vasi took his view of Rome is now Piazzale del Gianicolo and is devoted to Garibaldi and his followers.
You can see some more pines of the Janiculum in The Pines of Rome.

Villa Spada

Villa Spada

Villa Spada is located between Porta S. Pancrazio and the fountain of Acqua Paola. It was damaged by the fights between Garibaldi and the French. It now hosts the Embassy of the Irish Republic at the Holy See. In the area of the gardens which belonged to Villa Spada there is now this fine building which hosts the American Academy of Arts in Rome (right in the picture).

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Porta s. Pancrazio
Proseguendo il cammino verso l'erto del monte si trova a sinistra il giardino Spada, e a destra sopra le vecchie mura di Roma il casino Farnese ornato di pitture di Filippo Lauti, e del Cignani, e accanto evvi la porta della Città. Questa da principio fu detta Janiculense dal monte, in cui sta, e fu aperta, secondo alcuni, da Anco Marzio, secondo altri da Cajo Aurelio Cotta, o pure da M. Aurelio suo germano, che furono entrambi Consoli; perciò dal nome di questi fu pure chiamata porta Aurelia; ed Aurelia fu similmente detta la via, che ne usciva. Indi per la chiesa di s. Pancrazio, che le sta poco lungi, prese il nome moderno, e fu ristaurata da Arcadio e Onorio Imperatori; finalmente da Urb. VIII. fu ornata, come si vede. Uscendo per questa porta, evvi a sinistra la famosa osteria, celebre per il pesce e vino fresco,

Next plate in Book 1: Porta Settimiana
Next step in Day 6 itinerary: Casino e Villa Corsini

Go to    or to  Book 1 or to my Home Page on Baroque Rome or to my Home Page on Rome in the footsteps of an XVIIIth century traveller.


All images © 1999 - 2003 by Roberto Piperno. Write to romapip@quipo.it