Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

Links to this page can be found in Book 9, Map D2, Day 8, View D1 and Rione Borgo.

The page covers:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
S. Maria in Camposanto and the lost churches of S. Marta and S. Stefano degli Unni
S. Stefano degli Abissini
Sacrestia di S. Pietro
Fontana dell'Aquilone and Forno
Giardini Vaticani (Zecca and Fontana delle Torri)

The Plate (No. 166)

In 1759, when Giuseppe Vasi published this etching, the small seminary behind Basilica di S. Pietro was a recent addition to the many Roman institutions in charge of the education of future priests; the building was completed in 1729 during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XIII, at the initiative of Cardinal Annibale Albani, nephew of Pope Clement XI, who was a very influential member of the papal court and who, as Arciprete di S. Pietro, presided over all activities performed in the basilica. The location of the seminary responded to a practical need; to have within easy reach the boys who served Mass or were members of choirs singing at Solemn Mass or other ceremonies. At Vasi's time (and until 1932) Casino del Belvedere which housed the papal collections of antiquities could only be accessed by the street shown in the plate.
The view is taken from the green dot in the 1748 map below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Palazzino del Cardinale Arciprete di S. Pietro; 2) S. Marta; 3) S. Stefano degli Abissini; 4) Forno (Bakery). The map shows also: 5) Seminario di S. Pietro; 6) Zecca (Mint); 7) Fontana dell'Aquilone; 8) the site where the Sacristy of S. Pietro was built in 1776-1784; 9) S. Maria in Camposanto Teutonico.

Today

The view in July 2010 from the dome of S. Pietro

The dome of S. Pietro provides a good point of view for identifying the changes which occurred during the 1930s: a) Seminario di S. Pietro was incorporated into a taller building (1) which still retains the two entrances to the original construction, but no longer houses the seminary; b) Palazzino del Cardinale Arciprete was pulled down and replaced by a small garden with a fountain (2); c) the buildings between the seminary and S. Stefano degi Abissini were demolished, including S. Marta and the adjoining convent; the square is still called Piazza di S. Marta and Collegio di S. Marta is the name of a modern building (3) which houses the cardinals during conclaves; d) the white building (4) is a railway station which was designed by Giuseppe Momo.
These radical changes were made in conjunction or immediately after the 1929 treaty (Patti Lateranensi) between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy which settled the issues arising from the 1870 annexation of Rome. Pope Pius XI, the reigning pope, decided to provide the Vatican City State with a series of modern facilities to underline its self-sufficiency.

S. Maria in Camposanto Teutonico

(left) 1748 map: the monuments marked in red were demolished or modified in 1776 to make room for the new sacristy (S. Stefano degli Ungheresi no. 1274; Rotonda di S. Andrea no. 1284; S. Maria in Camposanto no. 1270 and 1271); in green those which were not affected; (centre) 1883 map: the monuments marked in red were demolished or modified to make room for new buildings or roads in the 1930s; in yellow the new sacristy; in green S. Stefano degli Abissini; (right) current map which shows Aula delle Udienze which was built in 1971

The changes introduced by Pope Pius XI were preceded by a major reshaping of the area which was promoted by Pope Pius VI in 1776 in order to make room for a new grand sacristy.
Rotonda di S. Andrea, an ancient Roman building which was used as the sacristy was pulled down; S. Stefano degli Unni or degli Ungheresi, a small church said to have been founded by St. Stephen I, the founder of the Kingdom of Hungary, was demolished and S. Maria in Camposanto was relocated to a different position to enlarge the street leading to the new sacristy.

Swiss guards controlling the access to the Vatican City State; behind them S. Maria in Camposanto and Sacrestia di S. Pietro; (right) the remaining section of Camposanto Teutonico

12th December 1644. I went again to St. Peter's, to see the chapels, churches, and grots under the whole church. (..) Hence we walked into the cemetery', called Campo Santo, the earth consisting of several ship-loads of mould, transported from Jerusalem, which consumes a carcase in twenty-four hours.
John Evelyn's Diary and Correspondence
The most famous Camposanto is that of Pisa; the cemetery bears this name (Holy Yard) because it is said that it was built with soil from Golgotha (Mount Calvary); the same tradition applies to the small cemetery attached to this church; the soil from Golgotha was brought by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. According to tradition Pope Pius V placed dust from this site into a handkerchief offered by his companion, the Polish ambassador. When the ambassador later opened the cloth, the dust had been transformed into blood.

S. Stefano degli Abissini

(left) Façade with medieval portal; (right) Palazzo del Governatorato (by Giuseppe Momo who designed also the 1932 entrance to Musei Vaticani), coat of arms of the reigning pope (Pope Benedict XVI) and in the left lower corner S. Stefano degli Abissini

The reference to the Abissini (Ethiopians) is due to the fact that the church was assigned by Pope Sixtus IV to Coptic monks of that country. The church is very old, but it was largely modified at the beginning of the XVIIIth century: it retains a medieval portal with a very fine frieze having at its centre the Lamb of God (similar to that of S. Pudenziana).
The plate by Vasi shows a series of other buildings near the church and along the street behind the basilica; they were all pulled down to make room for Palazzo del Governatorato, which in origin was expected to be a new seminary. It was eventually redesigned to house the offices of the new state; it is preceded by a flower-bed showing the coat of arms of the reigning pope (Benedict XVI at the time of this photo; you may wish to see it in a larger image at the time of John Paul II).

Sacrestia di S. Pietro

Fresco at Biblioteca Vaticana showing (left to right): a) rear part of new S. Pietro before the completion of the dome: b) Rotonda di S. Andrea; c) the relocation of an obelisk to Piazza S. Pietro in 1586; d) the remaining section of old S. Pietro

Pope Sixtus V wanted his most spectacular achievements to be celebrated by frescoes in the Vatican Palace; one of them shows the construction of new S. Pietro at a very critical moment, when the dome was yet to be completed; the basilica was built on the site of a private circus belonging to Emperor Caligula and two ancient monuments still stood near its southern side: an Egyptian obelisk and Rotonda di S. Andrea, a huge circular building of the time of Emperor Caracalla. The Pope felt it was very inappropriate to have these symbols of the past next to the largest Christian temple; the obelisk was relocated and it became a monument to the Holy Cross, while Rotonda di S. Andrea was turned into the sacristy of the new basilica (this second action was initiated by Pope Gregory XIII, his predecessor).

Photos from the roof of the main nave of S. Pietro: (left) Sacrestia di S. Pietro and one of the two passages linking it to the basilica; (right) the dome

Having thus seen the Church, I went to see the Sacristy, where by express leave from the Monsignor, who hath the chief care, as well as the Keys of it, I saw the Holy Relicks, and neat Church-plate belonging to this Church. The Relicks are many, and richly enchased in Gold and Silver. The Church Plate is both plentiful and of great value, as many Chalices of pure Gold set with Jewels, huge Silver Candlesticks, with a Crucifix of the same, as heavy as a Man can lift, with a world of other such like Plate.
Richard Lassels' The Voyage of Italy, or a Compleat Journey through Italy in ca 1668
The space available in Rotonda di S. Andrea did not entirely meet the requirements of a sacristy which housed the treasury of the basilica and several popes thought about how to solve the problem, but they were reluctant to endorse a project which entailed the pulling down of the ancient building: in 1715 Pope Clement XI called a contest and many architects sent projects; nothing emerged in practical terms, but all the projects highlighted the need to demolish Rotonda di S. Andrea.

Museo Pio-Clementino: fresco depicting Sacrestia di S. Pietro

Pope Pius VI, who before being elected, had been for years Arciprete di S. Pietro and who therefore had a direct experience in the matter, laid the first stone of a new sacristy in 1776; the new building was detached from the basilica and linked to it by two covered passages.

Dome seen from Piazza S. Pietro (its tip is shown also in the image used as background for this page)

The sacristy of St. Peter's is a most magnificent edifice, connected with the church by a long gallery and adorned with numberless pillars, statues, paintings and mosaics. It is in reality a large and spacious church, covered with a dome in the centre, and surrounded with various chapels, recesses and apartments adapted to the devotion and accommodation of the pontiff, the dean of St. Peter's, and the members of its chapter. (..) Though in many respects liable to criticism in point of taste, yet is on the whole entitled to admiration.
John Chetwode Eustace - A Classical Tour through Italy in 1802
The project for the sacristy was designed by Carlo Marchionni, who was the architect of Fabbrica di S. Pietro, the institution in charge of the construction and maintenance of the basilica. Marchionni is remembered also for having designed Casino di Villa Albani.

Vestibule of the passage leading from the basilica to the sacristy: (left) statue of St. Andrew by Niccolò Longhi da Viggiù; (right) white stucco ceiling, a feature of the new sacristy

We now return to the sacristy, commenced in 1776 and completed in 1784 at an expense of a million of scudi. It is a vast building composed of suits of apartments, spacious halls and noble corridors; and corresponds in magnitude and magnificence with the church to which it forms an appropriate and useful appendage. (..) Having entered the new sacristy we find ourselves in a vestibule adorned with four columns of red oriental granite, and pilasters some of the same, some of a different material. The statue of S. Andrew opposite the entrance was sculptured in 1570 by order of F. B. Piccolomini, archbishop of Sienna, for the shrine constructed in the old church to receive the head of that Apostle.
Rev. Jeremiah Donovan - Rome Ancient and Modern - 1843
The statue has the appearance of an ancient one because its sculptor was a restorer of antiquities, including the reliefs of Colonna Traiana.

Passage leading from the basilica to the sacristy: (left) capital with the heraldic symbols of Pope Pius VI; (right) ceiling with the coat of arms of the Pope

This corridor is 75 feet long, 12 feet broad, and 18 feet high; and is adorned with marble columns and pilasters, as are also the two other corridors, which form its continuation. Their ceilings are painted in chiaroscuro (monochrome painting using light and dark only), by Giovanni and his son Vincenzo Angeloni, Romans who also executed the chiaroscuri of the sacristy. Donovan
You may wish to learn more about the initiatives of Pope Pius VI in a page dedicated to his heraldic symbols.

Passage leading to the sacristy - bronze busts of popes: (left) Paul IV by Guglielmo della Porta (1560) - a very rare portrait of the Pope; (right) Benedict XIII (1728)

Affixed to the walls of the adjoining corridor, which conducts directly to the sacristy, are several memorials that belonged to the old sacristy, among which are those of Paul IV. Carafa, of Benedict XIII. Orsini and of Card. Barberini. Donovan
The Chapter of Saint Peter, i.e. the college of clergy in charge of ensuring the liturgical and sacramental care of the Basilica, celebrated with a bust the two popes, because of their assistance in overcoming financial difficulties. The frames of the busts were designed for the new sacristy.

Passage leading to the sacristy: Monument to Cardinal Francesco Barberini by Lorenzo Ottoni (1682)

Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597-1679) was a nephew of Pope Urban VIII and an important member of the family (see their busts by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the Barberini palace). He was Arciprete di S. Pietro for more than 40 years (1633-1667) and the tomb was commissioned by Cardinal Carlo Barberini, his nephew, who held the same position after him for nearly 40 years (1667-1704). This type of funerary monuments is typical of the Baroque period (see a page showing other examples).

Musei Vaticani - Cortile Ottagono: sarcophagus found during the construction of the Sacristy

Fontana dell'Aquilone

View of the section of the Vatican Gardens shown by Giuseppe Vasi in the plate; Forno (Bakery) was located near the circle surrounding a statue of St. Peter

The plate by Vasi shows some buildings in the distance and beyond them a circular tower surrounded by a wood; one of these buildings housed the papal bakery; according to Vasi its bread was excellent, maybe because the water which was used came from the initial distribution net of Acqua Paola, the aqueduct which supplied the Vatican. In the late XIXth century the bakery was demolished to facilitate access to the upper part of the hill, where Pope Leo XIII spent his summers as he preferred not to go to Castel Gandolfo, fearing this act could be seen as a recognition of the 1870 Italian occupation of the Papal State. The statue of St. Peter was made to be placed in front of S. Pietro in Montorio to celebrate the Vatican Council called by Pope Pius IX in 1870, but it eventually ended in Cortile della Pigna from which it was moved to its current location.

Fontana dell'Aquilone

Pope Paul V celebrated the completion of the aqueduct named after him by building an imposing fountain resembling a triumphal arch at its Trastevere end; at Borgo this was done with a fountain imitating a natural cascade coming out from rocks and caves. The fountain was built near Casino di Pio IV, a small summer residence designed by Pirro Ligorio in 1561 for Pope Pius IV; it is generally attributed to Giovanni Vasanzio (Jan Van Santen, an architect who often worked for the Borghese, the family of Pope Paul V) and it is named after the large marble eagle at its top, although in modern Italian aquilone means a kite, rather than a large eagle.

Details showing the heraldic symbols (eagle and dragon) of Pope Paul V and nymphs

Giardini Vaticani

(left) Zecca; (right) Fontana delle Torri

Pope Paul V had in mind to turn the area between Porta Pertusa and S. Pietro into an elaborate garden similar to those which were being designed at Frascati; to achieve this objective other fountains were built, including Fontana delle Torri, long walkways decorated with statues were opened and a portion of land was given the aspect of a wood.
The interest of the popes in this garden gradually subsided as they set their usual residence in Palazzo del Quirinale; Pope Alexander VII relocated the Papal Mint to a new building on the back of Fontana delle Torri (it was previously housed in Palazzo del Banco di S. Spirito); the decision to place a factory in the gardens is an indication that the popes rarely lived in the Vatican.

(left) Bust of Emperor Antoninus Pius; (right) road leading to the upper part of the gardens

The larger garden may be reached in a carriage (..) by driving round through the courts at the back of St. Peter's. Formerly it was always open till 2 P.M., after which hour the pope went there to walk, or to ride upon his white mule. It is a most delightful retreat for the hot days of May and June, and before that time its woods are carpeted with wild violets and anemones. No one who has not visited them can form any idea of the beauty of these ancient groves, interspersed with fountains and statues, but otherwise left to nature, and forming a fragment of sylvan scenery quite unassociated with the English idea of a garden. They are backed by the walls of the Borgo, and a fine old tower of the time of Leo IV.
Augustus J. C. Hare - Walks in Rome - 1875
The gardens attracted again the attention of the popes after 1870 when they returned to reside in Palazzo Apostolico. Many changes were introduced by Pope Leo XIII and also his successors were keen on adding new facilities, such as a landing place for helicopters. Visitors are shown a replica of the grotto where the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858, a piece of the Berlin Wall and a large bell which was cast for the 2000 Jubilee Year.

Sections of the gardens arranged in different styles

Next plate in Book 9: Collegio Clementino.
Next step in Day 8 itinerary: Porta Pertusa.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:

Seminario di s. Pietro in Vaticano Presso la chiesa di s. Magno fu da prima istituito da Urbano VIII. l'anno 1637. lo studio delle lettere per li chierici di questa Basilica sotto la cura del Capitolo Vaticano; ma poi riconosciutasi la troppa distanza, per maggior comodo della Basilica fu nell'anno 1729. quivi eretto dal medesimo Capitolo, tenendovi ottimi maestri. Terminati poi li studj ritornano alla Basilica per chierici maggiori destinati alla custodia delle cose sagre,fino a tanto che siano provveduti di benefizio. Incontro evvi il Palazzino del Cardinal Arciprete Appresso la Basilica Vaticana era anticamente il palazzo e residenza dell' Card. Arciprete della medesima, come lo avevano tutti i Cardinali presso la loro chiesa titolare: ma venendo ciò in disuso, principalmente per causa della fabbrica del nuovo tempio, sua Altezza Ema il Sig. Card. de Yorch ha fatto per suo comodo il palazzino presso la Basilica, affinchè sia pronto alle sagre funzioni della medesima. Accanto al mentovato casino evvi lo studio, in cui si lavorano le pitture in mosaico per servigio della basilica Vaticana, perciò se non farà discaro al Lettore di entrare, vedrà quel laborioso artifizio. Dall'altra parte si vede l'antica, ma piccola Chiesa di s. Stefano degli Unni Si crede essere stata eretta questa con uno spedale da s. Stefano Re di Ungheria circa l'anno 987. allor quando venne a Roma, dopo esser battezzato, per visitare il sepolcro de' ss. Apostoli, facendovi un ospizio per i pellegrini di sua nazione, come aveva fatto in Gerusalemme, ed in Costantinopoli. Da Gregorio XIII. fu poi conceduta con le sue entrate al collegio Germanico Ungarico in s. Apollinare per sostegno di quegli alunni. A sinistra del divisato Seminario, e appunto dietro alla tribuna della gran basilica Vaticana, evvi la Chiesa di s. Marta Nel Pontificato di Paolo III. fu eretta questa chiesa l'an. 1537. con lo spedale per la famiglia Pontificia, e però da varj Pontefici fu arricchita delle indulgenze, che si acquistano visitando s. Gio: in Laterano, la Scala Santa, e s. Giacomo di Galizia; sonovi delle pitture del Lanfranchi, del Muziani, e d'altri, ed il ss. Crocifisso è scultura dell'Algardi. Ma perchè ora la corte Pontificia risiede sul Quirinale, ultimamente fu conceduta ai frati Mercenari Riformati. Per non lasciare le notizie, che intorno a questo luogo si leggono, erano quivi, come accennammo, quattro celebri monasterj di Monaci, cioè uno di s. Martino, altro di s. Stefano Minore, di s. Stefano Maggiore, e de' ss. Gio. e Paolo fondati più di mille anni addietro, affinchè si cantassero dì e notte, vicendevolmente gli ufizj divini nella Basilica di s. Pietro. Inoltre vi era nell'istesso luogo il battisterio dedicato a s. Giovanni, ed insieme un cimiterio, appresso al quale erano 13. cappelle, ed in particolare una eretta da Probo prefetto del Pretorio, dove fu la sua sepoltura, famosa per il pilo marmoreo, che poi servì per il fonte battesimale della medesima Basilica Vaticana: ora altro non rimane di queste pie memorie, che solamente la picciola Chiesa di s. Stefano de' Mori Da s. Leone I. fu eretta questa chiesa, e da Alessandro III. nel 1159. vi fu aggiunto un ospizio per i pellegrini Abissini, Egizi, Etiopi, ed Indiani, e Gregorio XIII. ordinò, che venghino alimentati dal palazzo Apostolico. Prima di partire da questo luogo, mi sembra far cosa grata al Lettore di accennare, che nell'anno 1544. in occasione, che si cavava nella chiesa di s. Petronilla, che era contigua all'antico tempio Vaticano, fu trovata una grande arca di marmo,che fu creduta essere il sepolcro di quella Santa. Eravi dentro un cadavere di una donna, coperto di preziosi vestimenti di oro, i quali bruciati, dettero quaranta libbre di oro purissimo. Vi erano inoltre una lucerna marina fatta di cristallo di monte, ed ornata di oro, una quantità di vasi di oro, di cristallo, e di agata con ingegnosi lavori; altra quantità di gioje diverse legate in varj modi, e fra queste uno smeraldo coll' effigie di Onorio Imperatore, molte verghe, collane, e figure di oro: due cassettine di argento ridotte in pezzi, ed alcune medaglie, e lamine di oro, nelle quali si leggeva: Maria Domina nostra Florentissima. Stilico vivat. Domino nostro Honorio. Domina nostra Maria . Indi camminando d'intorno alla Basilica, e lasciando il palazzo, e giardino Pontificio, poi piegando a sinistra, si trova sull'alto del colle la Zecca Pontificia e Forno Sopra alle falde del colle Vaticano fu trasferita la Zecca, che prima stava, come dicemmo, presso la chiesa di s. Celso in Banchi, la quale è ammirabile, perchè col beneficio dell'acqua, e per gli ordegni ben adattati in poco tempo può coniare molta moneta. Ed accanto evvi il forno di palazzo, il quale è molto particolare, perchè il pane, che si cuoce in esso riesce migliore di qualsivoglia altro di Roma. Sagrestia di s. Pietro in Vaticano Per non ingombrare la bellissima architettura, che sì vede nell'esterno della divisata Basilica, hanno avuto riguardo non meno i Sommi Pontefìci, che gli stessi Architetti di fare una confacente Sagrestia, e però si servono dell'antichissima cappella rotonda già dedicata alla ss. Vergine detta della Febbre, nella quale sono 4. altari con quadri, fra' quali è considerabile quello de' ss. Pietro e Paolo, e s. Veronica dipinti da Ugo da Carpi senza avervi adoprato pennello. Vi si conservano moltissime reliquie, fra le quali una coltre, in cui i Cristiani di nascosto involgevano i corpi de' ss. Martiri uccisi nel Circo di Nerone, quando li portavano a seppellire. Evvi un archivio con antichi codici manoscritti, fra' quali uno di s. Ilario. A sinistra di questo piccolo tempio verso il colonnato stette in piedi il maraviglioso obelisco, che vedemmo in mezzo alla piazza Vaticana; ed incontro evvi la Chiesa di s. Maria di Campo Santo Era così grande la venerazione, che i primi Cristiani portavano al sepolcro de' ss. Apostoli, che facevano a gara le nazioni più lontane di avere allogio presso quest'augustissimo tempio, nel quale oravano continuamente di giorno, e di notte, succedendo a vicenda gli uni agli altri: perciò quivi furono fatte diverse scuole, o per dir meglio ospizj, e spedali. Quindi essendo da s. Elena portata in Roma molta terra de' luoghi santi di Gerusalemme, e collocatane parte presso questa Basilica, crebbe tanto la devozione de' pellegrini, che quei, che morivano in Roma, volevano ivi essere sepolti; onde questo luogo prese il nome di Campo Santo, e venendo poi in Roma Carlo Magno, edificovvi una chiesa dedicata al santissimo Salvatore; che per li scheltri, ed ossi del cimiterio fu detta in ossibus. Da principio vi fu una scuola di Longobardi, ora però vi è una confraternita di Alemanni Fiamminghi e Svizzeri, la quale ne ha cura, e però vi sono varie pitture, e depositi in marmo di quelle nazioni. Il quadro nell'altare maggiore è di Polidoro da Caravaggio, e i laterali sono di Giacomo d'Haffel, ed il suo deposito a destra è opera di Francesco Fiammingo. Il quadro di s. Erasmo, è di Giacinto Geminiani, e quello de' tre Magi dello Scarsellino. Il s. Carlo Borromeo, e la Fuga in Egitto, sono di Arrigo Fiammingo, e la ss. Concezione nell'oratorio è di Luigi Garzi; ed il s. Gio. Nepomiceno, di Ignazio Sterna. Ora intorno l'antico cimiterio vi sono state formate le cappelle per le stazioni della Via Crucis.