150 YEARS OF THE NAZARETH SISTERS

In the footsteps of Blessed Frances Siedliska in Rome (61)

Sr. M. Beata Rudzińska, CSFN

Via Giulio Romano – a place that no longer exists

On our journey in the footsteps of Frances Siedliska in Rome, we returned once again to Piazza Venezia – the place where she lived during her first visit to Rome in 1873 and then, on nearby Via Giulio Romano, in 1875. However, it is futile to look for this place on the map of Rome today. It remains only in old photographs taken before 1886, when the demolition of medieval and renaissance buildings on the slopes of the Capitol began for the construction of a monument to Victor Emmanuel, the first king of united Italy.

A few months after the king’s death (1878), the Italian parliament passed a resolution to build a national monument in honor of Victor Emmanuel, considered one of the four fathers of the homeland. Giuseppe Sacconi won the competition for the design of the building. The cornerstone was laid in 1885, just two years after the Sisters moved out of this place. In 1886, preparations for construction began. The 8th-century Franciscan monastery with its beautiful cloisters, the Renaissance tower of Paul III, and the houses of Italian artists Michelangelo, Giulio Romano, and Pietro Cortona were not spared. Giulio Romano Street with the Church of St. Rita, which probably adjoined the Sisters’ house, disappeared. The unfinished monument was officially unveiled in 1911, on the 50th anniversary of the unification of Italy. In 1921, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed in it. The entire work was not completed until 1935, i.e. after 50 years.

The Victor Emmanuel Monument, also known as the Altar of the Fatherland or simply Vittoriano, is a huge building rich in symbolism, modeled on ancient Greek temples, with an area of 17,000 square meters, 81 meters high and 135 meters wide. It was intended to cover the Romanesque Basilica of Aracoeli and the adjacent buildings. Fortunately, the basilica itself survived. The construction of the Vittoriano was and still is controversial, although the monument has become a permanent feature of the Rome panorama. For Italians, it is a place for celebrating national holidays, and for tourists, it is an attraction due to its museum and terrace with an impressive view of Rome.

Giulio Romano Street (until 1870 known as della Pedacchia), where the Nazareth community settled in 1881, ran at the foot of what is now the Altar of the Fatherland, starting from the steep stairs leading to the Basilica of Aracoeli. Next to them, we can still see the only fragment of the old buildings. During the demolition of the 17th-century Church of St. Rita, it was discovered that it had been built on top of the 11th-century Church of St. Blaise (S. Biagio del Mercato), which in turn had been built on top of a 2nd-century Roman house (insula). What we see today is part of the medieval bell tower and a fresco of Christ with Mary and St. John from the church of St. Blaise, as well as fragments of the Roman insula. The conservation work that began here a few weeks ago gives hope for even better exposure of this unique remnant of the ancient buildings of the Capitol.

The Church of St. Rita, on the other hand, was rebuilt 10 years after its demolition, several hundred meters away, on the corner of Montanara and Teatro del Marcello streets, as a result of public protests.

I encourage enthusiasts of Roman history to search the internet for photos and descriptions of the changes that took place in Piazza Venezia in connection with the construction of the Vittoriano. It’s worth it!

Pictures:
Church of St. Rita on Via Giulio Romano (left) and stairs leading to the Basilica of Aracoeli (right) – 1887
Remains of the Church of St. Blaise and a 2nd-century Roman house at the foot of the Vittoriano
Church of St. Rita after reconstruction
Vittoriano – Altar of the Fatherland