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Home , Aurelian Walls, Capitoline Hill, Guglielmo della Porta, National Roman Museum, Piazza Farnese, Porta Pia

tourism A tour around the sights of to discover the Masterpieces of Buonarroti.

1. SAN PIETRO

2. THE SISTINA CHAPEL

3. THE PAULINE CHAPEL

4. CASTEL SANT’ANGELO

5. FARNESE

6. SANTA MARIA SOPRA MINERVA

7. PIAZZA DEL CAMPIDOGLIO [The Capitol Square]

8.

9.

10. SANTA MARIA DEGLI ANGELI

11. Michelangelo in Rome Roma for you Collection of information by the Roma City Council

Published by Cosmofilm s.p.a. - Elio de Rosa, Editor Editorial director: Paolo Galeotti Text: Sofia Barchiesi Editor: Emanuela Bosi Layout: Antonio D’Alessandro Graphics: Marco C. Mastrolorenzi Translations by: Protos Translations & Communication (Naples - )

Photos: Reverenda Fabbrica di San Pietro Archives: 29, 30, 31, 32 Roma Sacra Archives: 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25 Artistic and Historical Treasures Service of Roma (SBAS): 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 20 Maria Teresa Natali: 24 Claudia Primangeli/Soriani f.c.v: Francesca Sinagra/Soriani f.c.v.: Paolo Soriani: 12, 13, 14, 20, 26, 27, 28, 33 series of specialistic guides aim to prolong one’s stay in Rome; a suggestion for people who have A “a few extra” days and desire to deepen the knowledge of our city. Carefully studied itineraries to accompany the visitor in the discovery of the great patrimony of the in Ro- me through the testimonies of great artists such as Cara- vaggio, Raffaello, Michelangelo. Walks through baroque art, to admire the splendid architec- tures by Bernini and Borromini. Advice for everyone, alike tourists and Romans, in order to quietly discover and enjoy the testimonies of ages that played a major part in constructing the extraordinary pre- sent image of our city.

Tourism Office Municipality of Rome

3 4 The map 11. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. PORTA PIA SANTA MARIADEGLIANGELI SANTA MARIAMAGGIORE SAN PIETROINVINCOLI [The CapitolSquare] PIAZZA DELCAMPIDOGLIO SOPRA MINERVA SANTA MARIA FARNESE PALACE CASTEL SANT’ANGELO THE PAULINE CHAPEL THE SISTINACHAPEL SAN PIETRO 1 2 3 Risorgimento Piazza del Sant’Angelo Castel

4 Navona Piazza 5 F i La Pianta 5 9 10 11 8 7 Villa Borghese Villa

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a a Visit st 1 San Pietro

he Apostle Paul was martyred on the near the Cir- Tcus of Nero. A memorial to the first was soon built. Constan- tine built a with 5 aisles over the venerated tomb in the 4th centu- ry. In 1503, after centuries of at- tempts at restoration, Pope Julius II decided to destroy and rebuild the new St. Peter’s, following the plans of . The Architect put up four pillars which were then used to support Michelangelo’s great . The present basilica houses The dome works and monuments of art and faith.

6 The Interior 1 st Visit

Saint Peter dome

ichelangelo planned the dome taking inspiration from those of the Pantheon Mand of St. Maria del Fiore in . While the interior vaulting was later modified with on the design by Cavalier d’Arpino, Della Porta completed the exterior profile, for the most part faithful to the original Michelangelo design, between 1588 and 1593 with the lantern. The Pietà, considered “a wonderful thing” (Vas- sari), is the youthful work by the artist that he laid claim to with pride, the inscription along the belt that crosses the bust of the Virgin contains his name and Florentine origins. The sculptural group made from a single block of marble, com- missioned on the 27th August, 1498 by Cardinal Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas and completed by the end of the century, was probably for the bur- ial of the prelate in the chapel of St. Petronilla, known as the “Chapel of the King of France” through the concession by Innocent VIII. After the demolition of the chapel, the was housed in the new and, from 1749, ex- hibited in the chapel of the , today dedi- 7 8 1st Visit Phone 00193Vatican City PiazzaSanPietro• Basilica ofSt.Peter• Times of opening: Office); 06 69883462 06 69883712 pm sure: mer from8amto6pm; mer from7amto6pm; from 7pm; winter from9amto5.30pm;summer from9amto6.30 behind asolidcrystalscreen. mad attemptin1972,thispreciousworkisheld dead son,thepromiseofredemption.After eternal actionoftheChurchcontemplatingher in whichtheyouthofVirgin alludestothe Nordic, wastransformedintoasymbolicvision cated tothe Basilica: (St. Peter’s Building); aia Grottoes: Vatican () winter from7amto6pm;summer to7am The Pietà Pietà Dome: Historic MuseumofSt.Peter’s Trea- . Thestyle,typically winter from7amto5pm;sum- winter from8amto5pm;sum- 06 69885435 (Parochial 2 nd Visit The Sistina Chapel

he chapel occupies the upper floor of a forti- fied centre in the Apostolic . Right Tfrom the beginning (1474), the room dedicat- ed to the Assumption – planned on the size of the Temple of Solomon – was the pontifical chapel and seat of the Conclaves. The restoration works pro- moted by Sixtus IV in 1477 gave it a precious mosa- ic floor and marble transennas, which were moved later to enlarge the area reserved for the . The two cycles of the Old and New Testaments, frescoed between 1481 and ’83 by , Bot- ticelli, Cosimo Rosselli, by Ghirlandaio and stu- dents began with scenes, later destroyed, of the finding of and the Nativity of Christ complet- ed by Perugino on the wall behind the where the Michelangelo “The last judgment” is now.

Reconstruction of the early 9 10 2nd Visit 10 grave ofJuliusII,thecontract wasstipulatedon engaged ontheinterminable projectforthe proved tobeparticularlyonerous fortheartist, time ofSixtusIV. Despite thecommission,it sky, paintedbyPierMatteod’Ameliaduringthe decoration forthe sustained bya onlyasmallpaymentandthe an- wanted toemphasisethe“difficulty ofthework”, A th May, 1508.Rightfromthebeginning,he gelo wascommissionedtoworkonanew of the fter theappearanceofcracksinwalls The Sistine Chapel vault , intheplaceofstarry in 1574,Michelan- nd

2 Visit 11 The Sybil of Cuma guish of not succeeding in the titanic , guish of not succeeding in the titanic that the sculptor knew was not his profession. problems, Having overcome the early technical helpers special scaffolding was erected. The reason for who had arrived from Florence were a dissatisfaction by Michelangelo who, in the end, decided to “throw out everything they had done”. It has been possible to find, through the weaker details of the first scenes near the en- trance, the biggest operation by the helpers who, from the autumn of 1509, would be more and more limited to the ornamental parts and 12 2nd Visit work oftheceilingasasymbolicpathwhere It ispossibletointerpretthearchitecturalframe- posed byBuonarotti. most articulatediconographicprogrammeim- geometrical decorations,laterchangedintothe Apostles arrangedaroundthecentralareawith originally includingonlytheseriesoftwelve The choiceofsubjectwassimilarlycomplex, tied totheworksofmuchlessablepainters. The lastjudgment nd

2 Visit 13 The and and and , populated Last Judge- , the Fall of the Rebelling An- ) alternate with another century frescoes on the century frescoes Creation of th Separation of the earth from , the October 1512, the commitment in Creation of st ), up to the mythical Flood. , the on the wall behind the altar and in that of

, the divine intervention for the , the divine intervention was foreseen) was due to Clement VII. Al-

Inebriation of

fate of mankind has already been marked, form has already fate of mankind An indis- chaos to the Redemption. primordial events illustrated in introduction to the pensable of 15 the two cycles

completing the project with the ment the entrance (where the gels though already begun, the entire work was then thrones occupied by the series of thrones occupied by Judith, Moses and as far as the marble Judith, Moses and which narrate the heroic undertakings of , which narrate the heroic , are portrayed, to the four corner-stones ham, are portrayed, where Christ’s ancestors, beginning with Abra- ancestors, where Christ’s From the lunettes and the respective ribbing From the lunettes tween the events and the life of Christ. tween the Mosaic events lower walls where there is a constant parallel be- lower walls where there Creation of light ma reliefs of biblical episodes, five scenes ( the ma reliefs of biblical In the fields of the , flanked by monochro- In the fields of the ceiling, of man is always exalted. chapel on 31 grandiose work finished after the opening of the grandiose work finished after the opening Even if Julius II succeeded in seeing the Even if Julius II succeeded in seeing gelo’s art. gelo’s (1980–89) offer an unedited version of Michelan- (1980–89) offer an unedited version of colours emerged after the recent restorations ies, while the gamma of cold and changing ies, while the gamma of cold and light, exalts the plasticity of the enormous bod- light, exalts the plasticity of the enormous fluid and transparent brushwork, soaked with fluid and transparent brushwork, soaked ing or pricking directly into the fresh plaster. The ing or pricking directly into the fresh plaster. tion through the traditional technique of pounc- tion through the traditional technique elaboration of the design and then to transposi- elaboration of the design and then to in the lowed Michelangelo to proceed directly scene and, that is, from the first done, al- scene and, that is, from the first fresco The work method used, starting with the last The work method used, starting with

the waters the Creation of the Stars and the Planets) lustrates the mythical origins of the world (the lustrates the mythical origins of the above the cornice, in the large celestial ceiling, il- above the cornice, in the large celestial four episodes from Genesis. The decoration by the forefathers (the 14 2nd Visit Services: Entrance Times ofopening 0669884676 Phone 0669884947• 00165Roma ,Viale Vaticano, 100• : up to26years complete 8.45 to12.20am(1.45pm) pm); Everysaturdaysandthe lastsunday’s mounthfrom tober: fronmondaytofridayfrom 8.45amto3.20pm(4.45 from8.45amto12.20 (1.45pm);frommarchtooc- The museumshave specialaccessfacilitiesforhandicapped people. the 21 by PaulIV–mitigatedtheCouncilofTrent on The decisiontodestroythefrescoespointedout and taverns”! work fortheChapelofPopebutstoves work, accordingtowhom,thefresco“wasnota cording toVassari, oneofthefirstcensors his clothes,Michelangelowantedtoportray, ac- ence ofMinoswrappedroundbyaserpent.In sion, nowtodrivebackthesinnerspres- in, nowtransportingtheinstrumentsofPas- maelstrom whichthesameangelsareinvolved inexorable fallofthedamned,intoviolent of theappointedtoleftand,right, Judge whomarkstheresurrectionbyascent turned aroundthesupremegestureofChrist tainly relatingtotheSackofRomain1527– nique. Thetremendousapocalypticvision–cer- wanted, forthemoretraditionalfrescotech- been setupforoilpaintingandnot,astheartist vice oftheVenetian, SebastianodelPiombo,had ter thedemolitionofplasterthat,onad- Michelangelo wasdisposedtocontinueonlyaf- : name of“Braghettone”. da Volterra, fromthenonknown bythenick- the veilingofnuditybyhisdiscipleDaniele Buonarotti –wascarriedouttheyearafterwith had painted,wasbegunon16 lunettes intheceilingthatMichelangelohimself moval ofthefrescoes,includingpair The constructionofthescaffoldingandre- by theartistinclothesofSt.Peter. his successor, PaulIIIFarnese,maybeportrayed carried outonasmallerscale,attheexpenseof from novembertofebruary:mondayfri- e 12,00; under14years,schools andstudents e st January, 1564shortlybeforethedeath of 8,00. th April, 1535. 3 rd Visit The Pauline Chapel

he Chapel was built on the plans of Antonio da San- gallo the Younger in the spring of 1538. It was later Tdecorated by Michelangelo as soon as he had fin- ished work on the Sistine Chapel. The chapel which is still private, is decorated with frescoes. On the left-hand wall is the Conversion of St. Paul, a theme which certainly alludes to the name of the client (Paul III Farnese), as the of St. Peter on the opposite wall from 1546 to 1550, recalls the morale weight of the apostolate. Other works in the Vatican are also due to Michelangelo, like the project of the already started by Sangallo and of the double Staircase in the Belvedere Courtyard, modified at the beginning of the 18th century through the elimination of the peperino balustrade.

The Crucifixion of St. Peter

The Pauline Chapel can only be visited with special permission (Apply to 06 69884947 – 06 69883333) 15 Visit th 4 Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo

egun around 133 AD., ’s mausoleum was completed by Antonio Pio in 139 d.C. and used as Bthe imperial tomb. The dedication of the building is due to the miraculous appearance of the Archangel , in 590 – and with it the Pons Ælius, the present day Sant’Angelo Bridge – becoming an integral part of the defensive system. From on high, the 18th century work by Verschaffelt re- calls the first statue erected after the plague of 1348. Converted into a prison it was the theatre for the es- cape by Benvenuto Cellini and the disturbing presence of Cagliostro. During the Sack of Roma, Clement VII succeeded in escaping the siege through the “Passet- to” which still joins it today to the Vatican. It was given up by the pontifical troops in 1870 and was restored at the beginning of the 1900s to house, from 1927, a rich collection of antique arms and a picture gallery.

16 4 th Visit

Chapel of Saints Cosma and Damiana, exterior

he elegant marble aedicule on the southern side of the Main Courtyard Twas planned by Michelangelo be- tween 1514 and 1516 as a view of the “new chapel” of Saints Cosma and Damiana erect- ed by Leo X, whose emblem can be seen in the centre of the rosette. It was later modi- fied by . After the restoration in 1987, the original plan by Michelangelo was restored, with the excep- tion of the seat which was added at the be- ginning of the century on the basis of de- signs then held to be authentic.

Castel Sant’Angelo National Museum, Castello 00193 Roma • Phone 06 39080730 - 6819111 • pren. 06 39967600 Times of opening: Every day except Mondays from 9 am to 8 pm; Entrance: Ticket e 5,00, reduced e 2,50. Free of charge for under 18s and over 65s Services: The museum has special access facilities for handicapped people; Audio-guide: e 3,62 (Italian, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German); Guided tours: e 3,10 Lire, Sunday 16.30 17 Visit th 5 Farnese Palace

ardinal Alessandro Farnese had planned to erect the family palace, given to Antionio da Sangallo the CYounger since 1513,on land acquired in 1495. The elec- tion of the client who became pope with the name of Paul III in 1534, caused the architect to make some modifications “ap- pearing to him to have to do more with the palace of a pontiff than a cardinal”. The rear of the splendid residence was com- pleted by Vignola and later by and then enriched by cardinal Odoardo Farnese with frescoes by Agostino and Annibale Carracci in the ceiling of the Gallery, a true milestone for the Roman baroque style. In 1731, on the death of the last male descendant, the important works of art inherited by Charles of Bourbon were moved to Naples. The palace, given to France in 1874, is still today home of the Em- bassy to the Italian State.

18 Façade 5 th Visit

ichelangelo took over on Mthe death of Sangallo (1546), and completed the Farnese building, finishing the main floor and part of the internal courtyard, probably joined to the second order. The sub- stantial modification to the main elevation is due to him, with the transformation of the original central win- dow to the present one crowned by “a coat of arms of pope Paul the third: big, beautiful Balcony and of different mar- bles”, it was later flanked by two other smaller coats of arms. The addition of the massive cornice, decorated with the Farnese lilies would be decisive – according to the plan presented in the spring of 1547, bitterly criticised by the followers of Sangallo – after the suitable corrections made adding to the façade, which a recent restoration has re- turned it to its ancient glory. In the courtyard, the influence of Michelan- gelo, who was replaced after the death of the pontiff by Vignola, can be seen in the refined frieze with garlands which completes the main floor and in the personal interpretation of the classic language of the upper floor, lined with Corinthian columns.

Farnese Palace, French Embassy, , 67 00186 Roma • Phone 06 686011 - 06 68832818 • Fax 06 68809791 Times of opening: visitable on request (fax 06 68809791) Services: The building has special access facilities for handicapped people 19 20 6th Visit sopra Minerva can painter, FraAngelicoareburiedinthechurch. tron saintofItalyandco-patronEurope;theDomini- dini ChapelandafamousworkbyBernini.CatherineofSiena,pa- The 1600sarewellrepresentedbythesculpturesinAldobran- X toBenedictXIIIareimportant. by FilippinoLippi,thefuneralmonumentsoffivePontiffsfromLeo derwent aradicalrestoration.Besidesthesuperbcycleoffrescoes end ofthe13thcenturyto19thcentury, whenthebuildingun- erva Chalcidica.Theinteriorhousesexceptionalworksfromthe T Santa Maria has alwaysbeenassociatedwiththenearbytempleofMin- was atonetimereservedforEgyptianworship,theIseum he nameoftheDominicanchurcherectedinareawhich Interior ofthechurch ofSantaMariaSopraMinerva. th

6 Visit 21 th Fax 06 6990672 Christ carry- 6793926 • , carried out on the 15 from monday to saturday from 7 am to 7 pm. On century. th Christ holding the Cross sunday from 7 am to 12 am. The has special access facilities for handicapped people

ing the cross he first version of the was left June, 1514 for Metello Vari,

Times of opening: Times Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, 42 00186 Roma • Phone 06

Services: T unfinished because of a fault in the marble. unfinished because of a fault in the by The present version, outlined in Florence in Ro- Michelangelo in 1518, was completed fact that ma by students in 1521. Despite the cov- the figure of Christ - whose nudity (later pagan ered by cloth) shows him, an almost while hero, in the guise of the Redeemer – ap- holding the instruments of the Passion it is no pears of great influence, even though originally longer in the aedicule which was de- on the left-hand pillar of the presbytery, stroyed in the 18 Visit th 7 Piazza del Campidoglio (the Capitol Square)

lthough the work of re-designing the ancient , seat of civic power, had al- Aready been started in the 15th century, it had a new push during the pontificate of Paul III. Con- nected to the Farnese family, the entire area was the object of changes by 1535. Two years later, it was decided to restore the Conservatives Palace with the transfer of the famous equestri- an Statue of that the Lat- eran Chapter had, in vain, asked not to be moved from its origi- nal site. Michelange- lo also seemed to be against the move. He was probably al- ready involved in the project, maybe limit- ed only to consultan- cy on the changes to the pedestal request- ed in March, 1539.

Piazza del Campidoglio

22 7 th Visit

Piazza del Campidoglio by

he square is characterised by the fa- mous twelve-pointed star shape re- Tcalling religious reasons (the twelve apostles). After the death of Michelangelo, with the appointment of Giacomo Della Por- ta, Michelangelo’s ideas – probably already fixed in a group project – were carried out with the completion, to the right of the square, by the elevation of the Conserva- tives Palace with the giant order, modified in part by Della Porta, who also built the fac- ing New Palace, finished around 1603. Heart of the entire Michelangelo architectur- al accomplishment is the Senatorial Palace, erected in 1573 on the structure with the double staircase of his designing, perfectly in axis with the above, rebuilt on the plans of Martino Longhi the Elder. The effect is amplified by the access steps to the square and by the central Fountain, flanked by the statues of the Nile and the , added to the feet of the building at the end of the 1580s. 23 24 7th Visit Entrance: Times ofopening: [email protected] Phone 0667102475• 00186Roma PiazzadelCampidoglio• Capitoline ArtGallery• e singol prenotation 3,50 freeitineraries. Marcus Aurelius complete 1st Januaryand1Mayfrom9 amto8pm. every dayexceptMonday, 25thDecember, the e Fax 066785488•www.museicapitolini.org e 6,20; 1,50, school free ofchargeforunder18’s andover65’s and replacedbyacopy. the ConservativesPalace gilded, wasmovedinside did bronzework,once cent restoration,thesplen- placed there.Afterthere- Ages, whenafountainwas site althroughtheMiddles born. Itremainedatthat la, wheretheemperorwas his motherDomitiaLucil- Lateran intheresidenceof lius, itwasoriginalatthe honour ofMarcusAure- Christian emperor. Builtin Constantine, thefirst because itwaskeptby ing downtous,probably rare worksofitstypecom- T e 6,00, groups relius ofMarcusAu- ue he equestrianstat- is oneofthe e 25,00; ; 8 th Visit San Pietro in Vincoli

he old Eudoxian Basilica, rebuilt by Sixtus III in 439-40 over older build- Tings gets its name from the empress Licinia Eudoxia whose mother had the chains of St. Peter brought from to unite them to those which had chained the apostle during his imprisonment in Ro- ma. Tradition has it that, on contact, the two reliquaries miraculously welded together, as portrayed in the large painting in the centre of the ceiling of the (1705-6). The Funeral Monument bronze funeral urn with the venerated reli- of Julius II quaries is on display in the crypt, rebuilt together with the presbyter- ial area during the second half of the 19th century.

25 26 8th Visit Funeral MonumenttoJuliusII,detail an independentbuildingwith thesarcopha- more complex,itwasinitially conceivedas cations madetothecoronation wereeven leading intotheinternalchapel. Themodifi- ment where,originally, therewasadoor re-used inthecentreofpresentmonu- Moses spired byprototypesofclassicsculpture.The to thevirtueofdeceasedanddirectlyin- niches withfemininefiguresinside,alluding ment ischaracterisedbyapedestalwithtwo ty bronzestatuesandbas-reliefs.Themonu- bellished onthreefloorswithmorethanthir- as acolossalisolatedpyramidstructure,em- approved inthefollowingApril,describesit for averyeffectivearrangement.Thedesign, destined fortheVatican Basilicaandstudied dertook theprojectwithpassion,originally after arrivinginFlorence,Michelangeloun- 1505, forapaymentof10,000ducats.Shortly with thecommissionbypontiffinMarch, T by agoodfivecontracts,thatbegan had acomplexgenesis,documented he was sculpturedaround1515andthen Funeral MonumenttoJuliusII 8 th Visit

Funeral Monument to Julius II, detail gus and the statue of the pontiff supported by allegorical figures, further simplified as an architectonic structure placed on a wall with the Virgin and Child above. After the temporary escape to Florence caused by the disinterest of the client, what the artist called “the tragedy of the tomb” it accompa- nied him in the more tormented phases of his experience as man and artist. In 1532, he final- ly arrived at a solution and the entire monu- ment was rearranged, in February 1545, in the right transept of the Franciscan church of S. Peter in Vincoli of which the pontiff, belonging to the order, was owner. The pose of the pontiff is important, he is portrayed in the act of rising from the sarcophagus as if awakening from the torpor of physical death.

Church of St. Peter in Vincoli, piazza di S. Pietro in Vincoli, 4/a 00184 Roma • Phone 06 4882865 • 06 4818969 Times of opening: every day from 7 am to 12.30 am and from 3.30 am to 6 pm Services: The church does not have special access facilities for handicapped people 27 Visit th 9 Santa Maria Maggiore

ounded by and, there- fore, known as the Liberian Basilica, it Fwas embellished by Sixtus III after the recognition, in the (431), of the dogma of the divine maternity of Mary to which the building was dedicated. There is evidence of splendid mosaics in the nave, mostly modified by Nicholas IV who added the mosaic in the Torriti apse. The worship of the Holy cradle was added to the Marian worship, tied to the image of the Salus Pop- uli Romani, in the oratorio decorated by . Covered by the new lacu- nar ceiling by Sangallo, it was completed with the Sistine and Pauline chapels. The re- construction of the external apse was fol- lowed by a reconstruction both of the façade and the sumptuous cibo- rium on the high altar, completed for the Ju- bilee of 1750.

28 Façade th

9 Visit 29 48904392 , already given to every day from 7 am to 7 pm The Sforza Chapel The church has special access facilities for handicapped people Sforza Chapel

Michelangelo by Cardinal Guido As- Michelangelo by Cardinal Guido canio Sforza, of Santa he

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza di Santa Maria Mag- 00185 Roma • giore • 06 Phone 06 483195 • Times of opening: Times

Services: T Maria Maggiore, was complete much later, Maria Maggiore, was complete much The ex- perhaps by . space treme liberty of the chapel, whose angular seems enlarged thanks to the four plan, columns, comes from the central Basilica drawn up in projects for the Vatican the Flo- and in the contemporary church of dei rentine Nation in Roma (St. Giovanni Fiorentini, 1559-60). Visit th 10 Santa Maria degli Angeli

The ancient

uilt between 298 and 306 AD., the Baths of Diocletian were the most imposing of Imperial Roma, able to house double the Bnumber of users compared to the sumptuous building begun by Caracalla about eighty years before. It is still possible to assess the size of the entire complex – that source said were decorated with 3,000 baths – taking into account that its external perimeter is marked, to the south west, by the exedra formed of 19th century buildings at the Via Nazionale end and, further to the north by the hall transformed into the church of St. Bernard. Beyond the ex Carthusian convent, the central area houses public offices, the Teaching Faculty, the ex planetarium and the premises of the (The ex Museum of the Baths, formed in 1889) whose important col- lections of antiquity have been, in part, moved to the nearby, new home of Massimo Palace and to the Altemps Palace.

30 Baths of Diocletian 10 th Visit

he old pro- ject by Ur- Tban II for the transforma- tion of the cen- tral area of the old Baths of Dio- cletian into a place of worship was re-proposed in 1541 and con- firmed with the bull by Julius III on the 10th Au- Interior gust, 1550, but then abandoned. With respect to the new artery marked out by Pius IV, the Strada Pia; in 1561, the pontiff commissioned Michelan- gelo to complete the building, placed under the patronage of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo and in the meantime given over to the Carthusians who were given the honour of constructing the annexed convent. Limiting the modifications and, therefore, the ex- pense, the works began again two years lat- er and were completed in 1565. Respecting the original axis of the imposing baths build- ing and using the tepidarium as a vestibule (originally with a dome and lantern), the im- age of the new church built over the pagan remains would appear as a sign of the strong religious contents, marked by the monu- mental transept vaults held up by the eight enormous red granite columns and by the deep rectangular choir imposed by liturgical needs and enlarged in the second half of the 18th century.

Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Piazza della Repubblica 00185 Roma • Phone 06 4880812 • 06 4820964 Times of opening: every day from 7 am to 6.30 pm Services: The church has special access facilities for handicapped people 31 Visit th 11 Porta Pia in the

he tract of the walls, called Aurelian after the emperor who had them built between 271 and 275 AD., covered the oldest repub- Tlican and suburban city wall like the one over the Tiber. The structure in brickwork – with external quadrangular towers about every thirty metres – extended for almost 19 kilometres along which the most important gates opened (some rebuilt in modern times) and minor openings (posterulae). Reinforced by Massenzio, they were completely rebuilt first by , who doubled the height, then by Belisarius, with added backs, like those of Sangallo. Violated by Alari- cus in 410, the tract of the walls near Porta Pia was the theatre of the historic “breach” into which the Italian army penetrated on 20th Sep- tember, 1870. The Museum of the Walls, in the St. Sebastian Gate, documents the story of the ancient defensive structure.

The Aurelian Walls Museum of the Aurelian Walls, Via di ,18 00179 Roma • Phone 06 70475284 Times of opening: from tuesday to saturday from 9 am to 7 pm. Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. On july and on august from tuesday to sat- urday from 9 am to 1.30 pm. every mondays close Entrance: Complete e 2,60; reduced e 1,60 Services: The Museum does not have special access facilities for handicapped people 32 11 th Visit

Porta Pia

t was called Porta Pia in honour of Pius IV who, in replacement of the ancient No- Imentana Gate, imposed the opening to connect, by way of the new urban straight stretch of the Strada Pia, the pontifical palace of Monte Cavallo (Quirinal) to the out- of-town basilica of Sant’Agnese. The project, already drawn up in January, was almost certainly given to Michelangelo on the 2nd July 1561, although it had already been started on some months before. The exter- nal portal, on Michelangelo’s design, was probably constructed by Virgilio Vespignani, author, in 1853, of the complete re-working of the attic which had, perhaps, fallen at the end of the century, crowned by the triangu- lar pediment.

33 34 him for40yearsandriskdamaging therelationswithpon- interminable projectforthe papaltombthatwouldtorment Julius IIgavehimfrom1505 on.Theseweretheyearsof ed thegrandioseRomancommissionsthatnewly elected ject whichheleftunfinishedin1504.The of civicvirtue,andthe takings: the trious colleagues,includingLeonardo,concerninghis under- nature gainedhimhisfirstdisagreementswithmore illus- By nowfamous,inFlorence,hisimpetuousandsuspicious by theambassadortokingofFrance. guarantor forthecommissionVatican Pietàrequested the buyerofhisBacchus(Florence,BargelloMuseum) and missions withthepatronageofrichbanker, JacopoGalli, Roma (1496–1501)didhesucceedingettingimportant com- ues forthealtarofSt.Dominic’s. Onlyduringhisfirststayin and takerefugeinBologna,wherehecompletedsomestat- Charles VIII’s armyin1494forcedhimtoescapefromthecity encouraged byscholarsandphilosophers.Thearrivalof and theLapiths uary, drawnupinthereliefof Together withhisfirstexperiencesinthefieldofancientstat- nificent. Palace, theeliteofhumanistschosenbyLorenzoMag- in thegardenatSt.Mark’s andtofrequent,intheMedici immediately afterwards,tobecomepartoftheMedicicircle Ghirlandaio’s studio.Hisuncommonqualitiesallowedhim, whom hegainedaperiodofapprenticeshipinDomenico activity, in1488,byhisfriendFrancescoGranacci,through rentine artisticcircle,alongwayremovedfromthepaternal by hismotherattheageofsix,wasintroducedintoFlo- Francesca diNeriMiniatodelSera.Theyouth,leftorphan The life M The lifeoftheArtist Michelangelo dovico diLeonardoBuonarrotoSimoniandto small Tuscan villageofCapresetothepodestà,Lu- ichelangelo wasbornonthe6 David , Michelangelocultivatedhispoeticpassion, (Florence, theAcademyGalleries),symbol Battle ofCascina Battle betweentheCentaurs , thegreatfrescopro- th Tondo Doni March, 1475inthe preced- ,

The life 35 and the prodigious February, 1564, in his Roman February, Medici Tombs th Pietro Malandri portrait of Michelangelo Piero

Michelangelo would be once again called to Roma to the in- Michelangelo would be once again to start basic urban in- building site, even terminable Vatican the decoration of the Sis- terventions but, above all, to finish be seen in this work by tine Chapel. The religious anxiety can influenced by the preach- the artist, by now elderly - already in the “unfin- ing of Savanarola – who materialises association with Vittoria ished” of the last Pietàs. His spiritual and, even before, the Colonna dates back to those years de’ Cavalieri to friendship with the nobleman Tommaso in 1587 by the Farnese whom he gave his designs, acquired by Michelangelo Many of them would be destroyed family. himself before dying on the 18 tiff after the sudden the running away of It artist to Florence. was resolved through of the intervention the gonfalonier, Soderini. Haughty and Soderini. Haughty of proud to the point signing his youthful masterpiece, the Pietà, only to hear it attrib- uted to someone else and disposed to con- front the anger of the pontiff, impatient to see the finished. loved, but also hated by He was a solitary genius and rebel, the important Florentine his rivals, including Sangallo. After with the (unfinished), projects for the façade of St. Lorenzo’s the annexed New Sacristy, architectonic intuition shown in the architectonic intuition shown in

the church of the Holy Cross at Florence. wall). The body, on the wishes of his nephew, was interred in on the wishes of his nephew, wall). The body, struction of the General Assurance Building (tablet on the house near Santa Maria di Loreto, demolished for the con- 36 The works • • • • • • • • • • • • Saints Peter, Paul,Piousand Gregory Siena, Dying PrisonandRebel Paris, Rondinini Pietà Sforzesco) Milan, Burial ofChrist London, withchildandSt.Giovannino London, Laurentian Library Lorenzo de’Medici,dukeofUrbino Funeral monumentsofGiulianodukeNemoursand Florence, Madonna withchild Florence, David Florence, on canvass) Holy FamilywithSt.Giovannino Florence, Madonna dellascala Battle betweentheCentaursandLapiths Florence Madonna withchild Bruges Saints Petronio,Procoloandangelcandelabra churches aroundtheworld in themainmuseumsand The mainworksbyMichelangelo The LouvreMuseum Cathedral Civiche Raccolted’ArteAntica(Castello , NotreDame , St.Dominic National Gallery Royal Academy , BuonarottiHouse St. Lorenzo,NewSacristy Bargello NationalMuseum Academy Gallery Gallery (tempera onpanel) (Tondo Pitti) (Madonna diBruges) (Tondo Doni)(tempera (Piccolomini Altar) (Tondo Taddei)