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Visit Rome following 8 XVIIIth century itineraries XVIIIth century Rome in the 10 Books of Giuseppe Vasi - Le Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna The Grand View of Rome by G. Vasi The Environs of Rome: Frascati, Tivoli, Albano and other small towns near Rome A 1781 map of Rome by G. Vasi An 1852 map of Rome by P. Letarouilly Rome seen by a 1905 armchair traveller in the paintings by Alberto Pisa The 14 historical districts of Rome An abridged history of Rome How to spend a peaceful day in Rome Baroque sculptors and their works The coats of arms of the popes in the monuments of Rome Pages on a specific pope Pages complementing the itineraries and the views by Giuseppe Vasi Walks in the Roman countryside and in other towns of Latium following Ferdinand Gregorovius A Directory of links to the Churches of Rome A Directory of links to the Palaces and Villas of Rome A Directory of links to the Other Monuments of Rome A Directory of Baroque Architects with links to their works A Directory of links to Monuments of Ancient Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Medieval Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Renaissance A Directory of links to Monuments of the Late Renaissance A list of the most noteworthy Roman Families Directories of fountains, obelisks, museums, etc. Books and guides used for developing this web site An illustrated Glossary of Art Terms Venice and the Levant Roman recollections in Florence A list of Italian towns shown in this web site Venetian Fortresses in Greece Vienna seen by an Italian XVIIIth century traveller A list of foreign towns shown in this web site
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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
S. Maria in Campitelli (Book 6) (Map C3) (Day 5) (View C8) (Rione Campitelli) and (Rione Sant'Angelo)

In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
S. Maria in Campitelli
Nice windows (Convento della Madre di Dio) and a little fountain
Palazzi Capizucchi, Spinola and Paluzzi
Casa di Flaminio Ponzio

The Plate (No. 117)

S. Maria in Campitelli

From the Capitol the area below the hill got the name of Campitelli. The square was at Vasi's time the center of a very busy area. The view is taken from the green dot in the small 1748 map here below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Monastery adjoining the church; 2) Palazzi Serlupi, Patrizi, Paluzzi e Capizucchi; 3) Street leading to Piazza Montanara. The small map shows also the exact location of 4) Palazzo Paluzzi Serlupi and 5) Casa di Flaminio Ponzio. The dotted line in the small map delineates the border between Rione Sant'Angelo (left) and Rione Campitelli (right).

Small ViewSmall View

Today

The Church today

The square is almost untouched and is also very quiet because traffic streams flow in the large street (Via del Mare) built in the 1930's on the site of Piazza Montanara.

The Church

The Church

S. Maria in Campitelli was built at the expense of the citizens of Rome in honour of a miraculous image of the Virgin which halted a pestilence in 1656. The image was kept in the church of the nearby Spedale di S. Galla. The Senate of Rome and Pope Alexander VII felt that the image deserved a better setting and financed the building of a new church. That explains why you see the coat of arms of Rome in my background.
The church is by Carlo Rainaldi and the façade is remarkable for its lights and shadows. The structure of the church is made by two distinct parts: first a Greek-cross building with large chapels and then a circular shrine covered by a dome, as shown in the image below.

The Church seen from Capitol Hill

The chapels were decorated by some of the best artists of the period. Here below you can see a) a typical monument with the dead in the act of praying (Monument to Vittoria Parabiacchi by Antonio Lavaggi); b) an altar-piece showing The Vision of the Holy Family by Lorenzo Ottoni; c) a fine angel by Francesco Baratta or by Michel Maille (for more baroque angels click here).

Inside the church

Nice Windows and a Fountain

Nice Windows

Not a building extensively mentioned in tourist guides, nevertheless the palace (Convento della Madre di Dio) shown in the plate next to the church has windows I would like to open. It was built in the XVIIth century, but it was widely redesigned by Filippo Raguzzini and Carlo De Dominicis in 1724.
The little fountain is thought to be a work by Giacomo della Porta.

Palazzi Capizucchi, Spinola and Paluzzi

Palazzi Capizucchi e Spinola

The two palaces opposite the church are known today as Palazzo Albertoni Spinola (left) and Palazzo Capizucchi (right): they were both designed by Giacomo Della Porta respectively in 1600 and 1580, but Palazzo Albertoni Spinola was completed by Girolamo Rainaldi, while the first floor windows of Palazzo Capizucchi were given a clearly baroque appearance in the XVIIth century.
Vasi makes reference also to Palazzo Paluzzi Serlupi, but this palace is not opposite the church, but in a corner of the square. It is now called Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, although the fleur-de-lys reminds of the Paluzzi Serlupi.

Palazzo Paluzzi Serlupi Caetani Lovatelli

Casa di Flaminio Ponzio

Casa di Flaminio Ponzio

The late Renaissance palace at the end of the square was erected in the 1930s, but its façade is original in the sense that it belonged to the house of the architect Flaminio Ponzio. The original building was located in Via Alessandrina and it can be seen in the plate by Giuseppe Vasi covering S. Maria in Campo Corleo. It was pulled down to open the large avenue linking Piazza Venezia with the Colosseum.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Piazza di Campitelli, co' palazzi Paluzzi, Serlupi, ed altri
Corrottamente si dice questa piazza dal Rione, che doverebbe dirsi Capitolio, in cui oltre i suddetti palazzi, vi è quello de' Capizzucchi, e Patrizj già, ed in mezzo un fonte. Non molto lontano da questa fu il tempio di Bellona eretto da Claudio Console circa l'anno di Roma 457. in cui il Senato si congregava per li consigli di guerra, e perciò innanzi al medesimo era la colonna bellica tenuta con tanta superstizione, che volendo dichiarare la guerra a qualche nazione, si appressava ad essa, o pure, secondo alcuni, vi montava sopra un sacerdote di quella deità, e coll'asta vibrava un colpo verso quella parte in presenza del Console.
Chiesa di s. Maria in Campitelli
Era quivi anticamente una piccola chiesa col medesimo nome, la quale da Paolo V. fu conceduta ai Chierici regolari Lucchesi detti della Madre di Dio. Essendo poi quella Città nell'anno 1656. travagliata dal male contagioso, per voto fatto alla ss. Vergine dal Popolo Romano, fu riedificata con magnificenza sotto Alessandro VII. con disegno del Cav. Rainaldi, e vi fu trasportata la celebre immagine di s. Maria in Portico. È questa scolpita sopra una gemma di zaffiro, che ha circa un palmo di grandezza, filettata di oro, e in due smeraldi vi sono effigiate le teste di s. Pietro, e di s. Paolo, la quale immagine in tempo di Gio. I. mentre Teodorico Re de' Goti tiranneggiava l'Italia, apparve a s. Galla figlia di Simmaco Console il giovane, e però fu collocata nel suo palazzo, come fra poco diremo; e perciò è stata sempre tenuta in somma venerazione dal Popolo Romano. Vi fu similmente trasportata una colonna di alabastro trasparente, e di gran valore, che si vede posta in un finestrino della cupola. Sono in questa nobilissima chiesa maravigliose colonne, e cappelle di marmi; il quadro di s. Anna nella crociata è di Luca Giordani, e quello incontro del Baciccio; le pitture però nella volta dell'ultima cappella sono del Passeri, ed il bassorilievo sull'altare con li sepolcri laterali sono di Lorenzo Ottone.

Next plate in Book 6: S. Nicolò in Carcere
Next step in Day 5 itinerary: S. Angelo in Pescheria
Next step in your tour of Rione Sant'Angelo: S. Angelo in Pescheria
Next step in your tour of Rione Campitelli: Piazza Montanara