Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome)
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Sant'Angelo is the 11th rione of Rome, Italy, located in Municipio I. Often written as rione XI - Sant'Angelo, it has a coat of arms with an angel on a red background, holding a palm branch in its left hand. In another version, the angel holds a sword in its right hand and a scale in its left.[1]
Sant'Angelo, the smallest of Rome's rioni, lies along the
. Sant'Angelo's western border is the river.The rione's terrain is low and flat and, until the construction of the Lungotevere, particularly susceptible to flooding from the river.
The historical significance of Sant'Angelo is mainly the result of the presence here of the Roman Ghetto.
History
Roman Age: Circus Flaminius
During the early Roman period, the territory occupied by Sant'Angelo lay outside the
The area housed the
In the 1st century BC,
During the
Middle Ages: Sant'Angelo in foro piscium
After the end of the Empire the monumental edifices collapsed,
The
The fish market moved from the
During the Middle Ages the district got the name of Vinea Thedemari, while its northern part was named Calcaràrio, after the
Later appeared also the appellation Sant'Angelo, after the most important church of the rione, Sant'Angelo in Foro Piscium ("St. Angel in the Fish Market"). This church, erected in 770 AD inside the Propylea of the Portico of Octavia, had a great historical importance during the Middle Ages. From here, on the Whitsunday of 1347, the Romans, led by Cola di Rienzo, launched the assault on the Capitol, attempting to restore the Roman Republic.
Being a quarter inhabited mainly by people belonging to the working-class, Sant'Angelo, like the neighboring districts of
Renaissance: Serraglio delli Ebrei
The
In the 16th century, the
But, while the wind of the Renaissance was starting to blow around Rome, another event changed deeply the destiny of the rione: the arrival of the Jews. A Jewish colony was present in Rome since the beginning of the Christian era, but the Jews by then had been living in Transtiberim, near the Port of Ripa Grande.
Because of the decay of the river trade, at the beginning of the 15th century they left the right bank and scattered through the city. By that time, in Rome there were about 2,000 Jews: 1,200 were living in Sant'Angelo (where they totaled 80 per cent of the population), 350 in Regola, 200 in Ripa, while the others were distributed among the remaining districts.[15]
On 14 July 1555, Pope Paul IV, one of the champions of the Counter-Reformation, promulgated the Bull "Cum nimis absurdum", where he revoked all the rights of the Jewish community and enclosed them in a walled district,[16] the Ghetto. The Christians who were owners of the houses placed inside the Ghetto could keep the property but, thanks to the so-called "jus gazzagà" (right of possession) they could neither evict the Jews nor raise the rents.[17]
The wall was interrupted by two gates,[18] which were opened at dawn and closed every night, one hour after sunset between November and Easter, and two hours otherwise.[19] The area had a trapezoidal shape, and contained hardly any noteworthy buildings. The only important square – Piazza Giudea[20] – was divided in two parts by the wall. All the churches which stood in the Ghetto were deconsecrated and demolished soon after its construction.
The Roman Jews were allowed to practice only unskilled jobs, as
, and this activity excited the hate of the Christians against them.In the lottery game, they were allowed to bet only on low numbers (from 1 through 30), and all belonging to the same group of 10.[22] In case of a draw of five numbers of that kind, the Romans said that on that day in the Ghetto there was taking place a great feast.[23]
When they went outside their district, the men had to wear a yellow cloth (the "sciamanno"), and the women a yellow veil (the same color worn by prostitutes).[21] During the feasts they had to amuse the Christians, competing in humiliating games. They had to run naked, with a rope around the neck, or with their legs closed into sacks. Sometimes they were also ridden by soldiers.[24]
Each year, on the
Every Saturday, the Jewish community was forced to hear compulsory sermons[26] in front of the small church of San Gregorio a Ponte Quattro Capi, just outside the wall.[27]
At the time of its construction, in the Ghetto – as almost everywhere in Rome – there was no fresh water. However, some years later the Popes built several fountains in the rione,[28] and one was placed in Piazza Giudea.[29]
The great number of people living in such a small area,[30] together with the poverty of the population, caused terrible hygienic conditions. The district, lying very low and near the Tiber, was often flooded. 800 of 4,000 inhabitants in the plague of 1656.[31] Sant'Angelo, which was the rione with the smallest area, was also, thanks to the presence of the Ghetto, the one having the largest population density.
Modern Age
The 17th and the 18th centuries passed without noteworthy events: the center of gravity of the Church had already moved from the Lateran to the Vatican and Borgo, and the Capitol lost its importance as a residential area in favor of the Campo Marzio plain.
Things started to change again with the French Revolution. During the Roman republic, in 1798, the gates of the Ghetto were finally opened, and the Tree of Freedom was planted in Piazza Giudea. The fall of Napoleon caused the compulsory return of the Jews to the walled district.
In 1848,
After the unification of Italy huge transformations affected the district. Great walls were built along the river, in order to avoid prevent flooding, and this caused the demolition of the picturesque row of houses which were mirrored in the Tiber. The Ghetto, although the Jews were now free citizens, was always crowded with the Jewish community,
During the twenties of last century, Sant'Angelo was affected by the great demolition works started in the center of Rome by the
Then, in 1940, in the north side of the rione, the street Via delle Botteghe Oscure was drastically enlarged, and there also churches and palaces fell victim to the pickaxe.
After the demolitions during the Fascist period, it was decided to modify the historical borders of the rione, established in 1743 under
During the
Sant'Angelo today
At the dawn of the 21st century Sant'Angelo remains one of the most characteristic districts in the old Rome. While the northern part of the rione, with its web of narrow, lonely lanes which protect it from the traffic, keeps a mainly residential character, the southern part is always characterized by the strong Jewish presence. The roads around the Portico d'Ottavia keep the atmosphere of a village, and host several small shops (also run by Jews) and many
The presence of a strong Jewish community makes necessary a continuous – albeit discreet – presence of Police and Carabinieri, deployed above all near the Synagogue in order to prevent attacks.
Sant'Angelo hosts also several cultural institutions, such as the Enciclopedia Italiana, the Discoteca Nazionale and the Centro di Studi Americani, which holds the most important library of Americana in Europe.[34]
Geography
Borders
To the north, Sant'Angelo borders with Pigna (R. IX), from which is separated by Via delle Botteghe Oscure and Via Florida.
To the east, the rione borders with Campitelli (R. X), whose border is marked by Via d'Aracoeli, Via Margana, Piazza Margana, Via dei Delfini, Via Cavalletti, Piazza di Campitelli, Via Montanara and Via del Teatro di Marcello.
Southward, it borders with
To the west, the rione borders with
Noteworthy things in the Rione
Squares
- Piazza dei Calcarari
- Piazza Campitelli
- Piazza delle Cinque Scole
- Piazza Costaguti
- Piazza dell'Enciclopedia
- Piazza Lovatelli
- Piazza Mattei
- Piazza di Monte Savello
- Piazza Paganica
Streets
- Via d'Aracoeli
- Via delle Botteghe Oscure
- Via M.Caetani
- Via Catalana
- Lungotevere de' Cenci
- Vicolo Costaguti
- Via dei Delfini
- Via de'Falegnami
- Vicolo de' Falegnami
- Via Florida
- Via del Foro Olitorio
- Via del Foro Piscario
- Via de'Funari
- Via Montanara
- Via di Monte Savello
- Via Paganica
- Vicolo Paganica
- Lungotevere dei Pierleoni
- Via dei Polacchi
- Vicolo dei Polacchi
- Via del Portico d'Ottavia
- Via in Publicolis
- Vicolo in Publicolis
- Via della Reginella
- Via di S.Ambrogio
- Via di S.Angelo in Pescheria
- Via di S.Elena
- Vicolo di S.Elena
- Via di S.Maria del Pianto
- Via del Teatro di Marcello
- Via del Tempio
- Via della Tribuna di Campitelli
Buildings
- Theatre of Marcellus
- Portico di Ottavia
- Palazzo Mattei di Giove
- Palazzo Mattei di Paganica
- Palazzo di Giacomo Mattei
- Palazzo Costaguti
- Palazzo Caetani
- Palazzo Santacroce
- House of the Vallati
- House of Lorenzo Manili
- Albergo della catena
- Palazzo Orsini Savelli
Churches
- Santa Caterina dei Funari
- Sant'Angelo in Pescheria
- Oratorio dei pescivendoli
- San Gregorio della divina pietà
- Santo Stanislao dei Polacchi
- Santa Rita da Cascia
- Santa Maria in Campitelli
- San Nicola in Carcere
- Sant'Ambrogio della Massima
- Santi Sebastiano e Valentino (destroyed)
Other monuments
- Synagogue
- Fountain of the Tortoises
- Fountain of Piazza Giudea
Notes
- ^
The scale refers not to the symbolic scales of justice, but rather to the weighing of coat of Armsof Sant'Angelo displayed a silver fish on a red field.
- ^ a b c d Staccioli, 208.
- ^ Staccioli, 204.
- ^ Staccioli, 206.
- ^ The Emperor Valentinian I in the second half of the fourth century demolished part of the scaena of the theater of Marcellus to rebuild the Pons Cestius. Delli, 819.
- ^ Known later as"Ponte rotto" ("broken bridge").
- ^ These gave the name to the church, which was called Santa Caterina dei Funari ("St. Catherine by the rope-makers"). This is actually the only church in Rome whose name does not come from the patronage of a Guild, but from the closeness of the workers which exercised this job to the church. Pietrangeli.
- ^ The last coppersmiths worked there until the restoration of the theater in 1926.
- ^ The church of San Valentino dei Mercanti was pulled down shortly after 1870. Pietrangeli, 66.
- ^ The inscription said "CAPITA PISCIUM HOC MARMOREO SCHEMATE LONGITUDINE MAIORUM USQUE AD PRIMAS PINNAS INCLUSIVE CONSERVATORIBUS DANTO" in English: The heads of fish longer than the markings on this marble shall be given to the counsellors, up to and including the first fins.. Delli, 83.
- ^ Zanazzo, 160.
- ^ The house lies near the north end of Via del Portico d'Ottavia. Above the windows can still be read the sentence "HAVE ROMA". Pietrangeli, 48.
- ^ The four Palazzi are known as: Mattei di Giove (masterpiece of Carlo Maderno), of Giacomo Mattei (work of Nanni di Baccio Bigio), Mattei di Paganica, and of Alessandro Mattei (now Caetani). Pietrangeli.
- ^ The view of the yard of Palazzo Mattei di Giove in spring, decorated with Roman statues and reliefs, and flooded with rambling roses, teaches us more than many books about the life in Rome during the Renaissance.
- ^ Delli, 435.
- ^ The wall was built under the direction of the architect Giovanni Sallustio Peruzzi. The money for its construction – 300 scudi – had to be paid by the Jewish community.
- Urban VIII. The same apartment on the free market cost 450 Scudi. About, 96.
- ^ Later in the sixteenth century the gates became three: under Sixtus V five, and finally, during the nineteenth century eight. These increases were caused by successive enlargement of the Area. Pietrangeli, 44.
- ^ Pietrangeli.
- ^ On the square were placed the barracks of the gendarmes which controlled the ghetto, and there was practiced the torment of the strappado ("la corda"). Pietrangeli, 45.
- ^ a b De Rossi, 222.
- ^ This law was established because, since the Jews had the reputation of being sorcerers, the Romans believed that they could win by witchcraft. Otherwise, usually the Italian lottery is played betting on up to five numbers ranging from 1 through 90. Zanazzo, 143.
- ^ Zanazzo, 144.
- ^ These habits were usual also before the erection of the Ghetto. For example, Pope Alexander VI was a fan of such competitions. He chose not to pave the new road named Borgo nuovo, which he opened in the year 1500 in Borgo, in order to keep a better ground for the runners.
- ^ This tradition was interrupted by Pius IX in 1847. About, 96.
- ^ It is told that many Jews closed their ears with wax in order not to hear the sermon.
- Hebrew and Latin, complaining about the stubbornness of the Jewish people.
- Sixtus V. Delli.
- ^ The fountain, another work of Giacomo della Porta, is now in Via del Progresso.
- Sixtus V, was slightly larger than three hectares. Pietrangeli, 44.
- ^ a b Pietrangeli, 44.
- ^ It was said that the Jews, who once had to live there against their will, now stayed there for love. Delli, 435.
- ^ The Rothschild family gave the capital necessary to buy this area.
- ^ Pietrangeli, 12.
Bibliography
- Baronio, Cesare (1697). Descrizione di Roma moderna (in Italian). M.A. and P.A. De Rossi, Roma.
- About, Edmond (1861). Rome contemporaine (in French). Hetzel, Paris.
- Zanazzo, Giggi (1907–1910). Usi, costumi e pregiudizi del popolo di Roma (in Italian). Torino – Roma.
- Delli, Sergio (1975). Le strade di Roma (in Italian). Newton Compton, Roma.
- Pietrangeli, Carlo (1976). Guide rionali di Roma (in Italian). Vol. Sant'Angelo. Fratelli Palombi, Roma.
- Staccioli, Romolo (1988). Roma entro le mura (in Italian). Fratelli Melita Roma.
Further reading
- Tucci, Pier Luigi (2001). Laurentius Manlius. La riscoperta dell'antica Roma, la nuova Roma di Sisto IV (in Italian). Quasar, Roma.