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Rione X Campitelli


Campitelli is most likely a corruption of Capitolium the Latin name of the Campidoglio hill; another theory links Campitelli with the fallen capitals (It. capitelli) of Roman temples near Piazza Montanara. It includes the area around Campidoglio and the hill itself, the Palatine and most of the Celio hill. It borders to the north on Pigna, to the east on Monti, to the south on Ripa and to the west on Sant'Angelo. In the XVIIIth century only the area around Campidoglio was populated while the rest of the rione was split into villas and farms.
For a map of the Roman quarters (Rioni) click here.

Coat of arms
Coat of arms of Rione Campitelli

The symbol of Rione Campitelli is a dragon's head.
Rione Campitelli includes some of the most imposing ruins of ancient Rome from those of Palazzo Augustale to those of Colosseo. The statue of Marcus Aurelius, the arches of Septimius Severus and Constantine, the temple of Castor and Pollux, the gates of Porta Latina and Porta San Sebastiano are other fascinating Roman monuments of Rione Campitelli.
Notwithstanding the loss of the medieval quarter around the Campidoglio hill, the rear side of Palazzo Senatorio and Santa Maria d'Aracoeli offer interesting examples of medieval architecture.
The Campidoglio hill has always been seen as the symbol of the city of Rome in its non-Christian aspect. Paulus III commissioned Michelangelo with the redesign of Piazza del Campidoglio to welcome there the emperor Charles V who was returning from his conquest of Tunis in what was almost a re-enactement of the triumphal processions of ancient Rome. In the XVIIth century Carlo Rainaldi completed Michelangelo's design of the Piazza and built one of the finest churches of Baroque Rome: S. Maria in Campitelli.

Umbilicus Urbis Romae, the centre of Ancient Rome near Arco di Settimio Severo, a medieval 
window in Monastero di Tor de' Specchi and an inscription with the coats of arms of pope Sixtus V and of three senators in Palazzo Senatorio
Umbilicus Urbis Romae, the centre of Ancient Rome near Arco di Settimio Severo, a medieval window in Monastero di Tor de' Specchi and an inscription with the coats of arms of pope Sixtus V and of three "conservatori" in Palazzo Senatorio

Rione Campitelli
1777 Map of Rione Campitelli

Legend of the most readable numbers:
1) Palazzo Muti-Bussi
2) SS. Venanzio e Ansovino
3) S. Maria di Campitelli
4) Piazza Montanara
11) S. Maria Liberatrice
17) Arco di Costantino
20) Villa Mattei
21) Villa Casali (lost)
22) SS. Quattro Coronati

Rione Campitelli Palazzo Muti Bussi Santi Venanzio e Ansovino Palazzi Fani e Massimo Santa Maria in Campitelli Palazzi Albertoni e Capizucchi Monastero di Tor de' Specchi Piazza Montanara Santa Rita da Cascia Santa Maria d'Aracoeli Palazzi di Campidoglio Palazzo Caffarelli Portico di Monte Caprino S. Maria della Consolazione Ospedale della Consolazione S. Giuseppe de' Falegnami o S. Pietro in Carcere Arco di Settimio Severo Tempio di Castore e Polluce Santa Maria Liberatrice San Teodoro Orti Farnesiani S. Bonaventura al Palatino S. Sebastiano al Palatino S. Anastasia Palazzo Augustale Arco di Costantino Colosseo SS. Giovanni e Paolo S. Gregorio al Celio Arco di Costantino Colosseo SS. Giovanni e Paolo Sostruzioni del Tempio di Claudio S. Gregorio al Celio Casino Fini SS. Quattro Coronati S. Maria in Domnica Arco di Dolabella S. Tommaso in Formis Villa Mattei S. Sisto Vecchio S. Giovanni a Porta Latina S. Giovanni in Oleo Porta Latina Porta S. Sebastiano Arco di Druso
Main monuments of Rione Campitelli

The small maps show the major changes which occurred after 1777:
a) left map: red area: the buildings on the northern side of Campidoglio were pulled down to make room for the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II and later on to obtain a large square at the foot of the steps leading to S. Maria d'Aracoeli and to open a large street leading to Teatro di Marcello.
b) left map: green line: the Palatine, the southern side of Campidoglio and the valley between the two hills have been excavated and today they form a large archaeological area.
c) left map: red line: it marks the enlargement of Via di S. Gregorio linking Piazza del Colosseo with S. Gregorio al Celio;
d) right map: curved red line: the area around Colosseo was cleared of all existing buildings;
e) right map: red line: it marks an area where most of the buildings were erected after 1870.

The different colours group the monuments which are shown in the same page (because of the scale of the map a few minor monuments were omitted).

Name(key)ColourNotes
-Piazza MontanaraLost
-Monastero di Tor de' Specchi-
Chiesa di Santa Rita da CasciaRelocated and deconsecrated
Chiesa di Santa Maria in Campitelli-
Palazzi Albertoni e Capizucchi-
Chiesa di Santi Venanzio e AnsovinoLost
Palazzo Muti Bussi-
Palazzi Fani e Massimo-
Chiesa di Santa Maria d'Aracoeli-
Palazzi di Campidoglio-
Palazzo Caffarelli-
-Portico di Monte CaprinoWith monuments of Ripa.
Chiesa di Santa Maria della ConsolazioneWith monuments of Ripa.
-Ospedale della ConsolazioneWith monuments of Ripa.
Chiesa di San Giuseppe de' Falegnami o S. Pietro in Carcere-
-Arco di Settimio Severo-
-Tempio di Castore e PolluceWith monuments of Monti.
Chiesa di Santa Maria LiberatriceLost
Chiesa di San Teodoro-
-Orti Farnesiani-
Chiesa di San Sebastiano al Palatino-
Chiesa di San Bonaventura al Palatino-
Chiesa di Sant'AnastasiaWith monuments of Ripa.
Palazzo Augustale-
-Colosseo-
-Arco di Costantino-
Chiesa di Santi Giovanni e Paolo-
-Tempio di Claudio-
Chiesa di San Gregorio al Celio-
-Casino FiniWith monuments of Monti.
Chiesa dei Santi Quattro CoronatiWith monuments of Monti.
Chiesa di Santa Maria in Domnica-
-Arco di Dolabella-
Chiesa di San Tommaso in Formis-
Villa Mattei-
Chiesa di San Sisto VecchioWith monuments of Monti.
Chiesa di San Giovanni a Porta Latina-
Chiesa di San Giovanni in Oleo-
-Porta Latina-
-Porta San Sebastiano-
-Arco di Druso-

You can start your tour of Rione Campitelli from S. Pietro in Carcere.
You can also have a look at it from the Janiculum: Campidoglio, Colosseo and Santa Sabina.

I - MontiII - Trevi
III - ColonnaIV - Campo Marzio
V - PonteVI - Parione
VII - RegolaVIII - Sant'Eustachio
IX - PignaX - Campitelli
XI - Sant'AngeloXII - Ripa
XIII - TrastevereXIV - Borgo




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All images © 1999 - 2004 by Roberto Piperno. Write to romapip@quipo.it