S. Pietro in Vinculis (Book 3) (Map B3) (Day 2) (View B8) (Rione Monti) In this page:
Vinculis (links but also chains) is a reference to the chains of
St. Peter for which a church was built on this site as early as 442 by
Empress Eudoxia (since Basilica Eudossiana) (in my background you see a
relief by Andrea Bregno which is inside the church and which shows the
chains). The view is taken from the green dot in the map below.
In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Part of the monastery of S. Francesco di Paolo; 2) Street leading to S. Martino ai Monti; 3) S. Pietro in Vincoli; 4) Palace of the titular cardinal.
The small 1748 map shows also 5) Monastery of S. Antonio Abate. The tower bell and the adjoining monastery were pulled down at the beginning of the XXth century to leave room for a section of the University of Rome, but apart from this the simple Renaissance façade built by Meo del Caprina in 1475 for Sixtus IV Della Rovere has not been altered. The church is today associated with the statue of Moses by Michelangelo
and with the little part of the Tomb of Julius II which was accomplished
and which remained in Rome. The tomb was designed for the new Vatican Basilica,
where today Julius II is buried in a very simple way near the tomb of his
uncle Sixtus IV.
The cloister is built in the same style as the façade. At the center
an elegant well with the coat of arms of Julius II reminds us that this
part of Rome did not have a supply of water until Sixtus V restored the
Roman aqueducts coming from the Castelli Romani. Behind the well a little
fountain built in 1642 by Cardinal Antonio Barberini is a sign of the return
of the water on the hills. The curved lines of the small basin are interrupted
by the bees of the Barberini.
The Church and the large monastery dedicated to St. Francis of Paola are now isolated on high ground because of the large street (Via Cavour) built to connect the Railway Station of Termini with the Fora. The church was built in 1623 at the expense of a Cardinal Aldobrandini (see the capital with the Aldobrandini symbols - stars and stripes) and it has some interesting details. S. Antonio Abate e Torri degli Annibaldi e dei Cesarini The plate shows to the far right a gate which is still there. Behind
the gate there is still a monastery, but it is a relatively modern building
of no interest. The walls of the monastery retain a medieval tower in good
condition and not altered by excessive restoration. It belonged to the Annibaldi family. The Annibaldi in the XIIIth century were fierce enemies of the Frangipane who
lived not far from here in a fortified part of the Colosseum. Another medieval tower next to S. Francesco di Paola came into the possession of the Cesarini in the
XVth century and it was given a Renaissance appearance. The Cesarini hosted in the houses protected by the tower Vannozza de' Cattanei, mother of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, whose father was Pope Alexander VI.
For this reason the houses are called Case dei Borgia.
Next plate in Book 3: Basilica di S. Giovanni in Laterano
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