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ITINERARY 3 - The Teatro Marcello, The Ghetto, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, The Basilica of San Paolo fuori le mura, EUR, Fountain of the Turtles, The Tiberina Island, Portico di Ottavia, Temple of Vesta, Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Bocca della verità, Aventine Hill. Again starting out of the Piazza Venezia, this time we take the road to the right of the Victor Emanuel monument: via del Teatro Marcello. We then turn off to the right into the Piazza Campitelli, on which stands the church of Santa Maria in Campitelli, built in the baroque style by Rainaldi in the 17th century. The tabernacle built into the high altar contains an enamelled icon of the Virgin Mary known as the Madonna in Portico dating to the 11th century, to whom the cessation of a plague epidemic in 1656 was attributed, and in honour of whom the church as a result was built. Close by, in via dei Funari, is the church of Santa Caterina dei Funari, dating back to the 12th century, but reconstructed in the 16th. The splendid facade by Guidetto Guidetti also dates to 16th. On the same street is the huge Palazzo Mattei di Giove, built by Maderno towards the end of the 16th century. At its end is the Piazza Mattei, dominated by its charming renaissance Fountain of the Tortoises. Designed by Giacomo della Porta, the fountain consists of bronze ephebes supporting totroises, though these were added in the 17th century. The bronze figures are by Taddeo Landini. We now return to the Via del Teatro Marcello. A short distance ahead, to the right, is the Theatre of Marcellus. It was built by Augustus in the 1st century B.C. in honour of his young nephew Marcellus, whom he intended as his successor but was cut off by an early death. The Theatre is partly occupied by the Palazzo Orsini, but some of the two series of superimposed tiers of arches that composed it are still visible. Adjacent to it stand three graceful corinthian columns: all that remain of the Temple of Apollo Sosiano erected in 433 B.C. The Theatre abuts onto the Piazza di Monte Savello, on which also stands the church of San Nicoḷ in Carcere, nuilt over the ruins of three temples, as is clearly attested by the remains of ancient columns incorporated into its walls. The 16th century facade is by Della Porta who made various alterations to the original building dating to the 11th century. The stretch of the Tiber facing the piazza on which the church stands is that in which the Isola Tiberina lies, the island sacred in ancient times to the god of medecine Aesculapius, to whom a temple was dedicated. The island medical associations live on in the Hospital Fatebenefratelli which is now situated on it (founded in the 16th century). Adjacent to it is the church of San Giovanni Calibita of the 17th century, while on the other side of the little piazza is the church of San Bartolomeo built by emperor Otto III over the ruins of the Temple of Aesculapius. The Tiber Island is joined to the banks of the river by two roman bridges. We recross the Pons Fabricius, in the direction whence we came, and make our way to the nearby Porticus of Octavia, built in 146 B.C. and reconstructed by Augustus in honour of his sister. Only some columns, part of the entablature and an arch survive of it: they form an entrance to the church of Sant'Angelo in Peschiera, which derives its name from the fish-market once situated there. The whole surrounding area is the characteristic jewish quarter in Rome: the Ghetto. We now return to the Theatre of Marcellus. Continuing our way along the via del Teatro Marcello, we pass the medieval House of the Crescenzi, incorporating Roman reliefs and other ancient architectural fragments in its structure, and so come to the piazza della Bocca della Verità. It marks the site of the ancient Forum Boarium. The remains of two ancient temples still stand in the piazza. The rectangular one is the so-called Temple of Fortuna Virilis, dating to the 2nd century, built in a style blending Hellenistic with Etruscan features. Adjacent to it is the graceful Temple of Vesta. In structure and circular plan it is of Greek derivation; but Romans saw in this a reflection of the form of the primitive huts familiar to them. The temple consists of a circular peristyle of corinthian columns which originally supported an entablature of which no trace remains. It was not in fact dedicated to Vesta: only its circular plan inspired this name. On the other side of the piazza stands the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin erected over the remains of roman buildings in the 6th century and subsequently enlarged and transformed. Its tall and beautiful bell-tower pierced by two and three-light mullioned windows is in the romanesque style (12th century). In the portico of the church is preserved a large circular stone mask: this is the famous Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth) from which the piazza takes its name. The name derives from the legend that if a witness whose truthfulness was doubted placed his hand in the mouth of the mask, it would bite him if he were guilty of telling a lie. Not far away, at the centre of the via del Velabro, is the arc of Janus, dating to the period of the emperor Constantine. It has four equal sides, with arches opening to the four points of the compass. Close to it stands the church of San Giorgio in Velabro, dating to the 6th century but subjected to various alterations since then. It is flanked by a graceful romanesque bell-tower (12th century). The interior is in basilica form. The apse is decorated with frescoes dating to 1295, perhaps the work of Pietro Cavallini. The cosmatesque baldacchino is also of considerable artistic interest. Adjacent to the church is the Arcus Argentarius, dedicated to the emperor Septimius Severus, his wife Julia Domna and his sons Caracalla and Geta. Close to the arch is the drainage channel of the Cloaca Maxima, which debouches into the Tiber river at this point: this daring work of hydraulic engineering, perhaps dating back to the period of Tarquinius Priscus, was used to drain the once marshy ground of the forum. We now make our way towards the Circus Maximus, which still preserves the shape of ancient Rome chariot-racing track, and by way of the via del Circo Massimo, ascend the Aventine, another of the hills of Rome, its slopes dotted with secluded villas and laid out with little parks and gardens. Some ancient remains are also to be seen on the hill: a stretch of the Republican walls of Rome and some buildings dating to the time of Augustus. The Piazzale Romolo e Remo is dominated by a monument to Giuseppe Mazzini (1949). Ascending the Aventine, we come to the church of Santa Sabina, on Piazza Illiria. Dating back to the 5th century, it still retains, in spite of the numerous alterations to which it has been subject over the centuries, the most characteristic features of an Early Christian basilica. A large 5th century mosaic is preserved above the main portal. The interior is divided into a nave and two aisles by 24 fluted corinthian columns. On the same road, a little further on, we come to the church of Santi Bonifacio e Alessio, founded in the 10th century, but reconstructed by Tommaso de Marchis in the 18th. In the piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta is the Villa of the Knights of Malta, with its famous keyhole of St.Peter, and the church of Santa Maria del Priorato. After passing the Piazza San Anselmo, we now descend the street of the same name and so reach Piazza Albania. Close to the piazza is the church of San Saba (7th century) with a romanesque facade. We now continue down to the nearby Porta San Paolo, one of the roman gateways in the Aurelian Walls (the Porta Ostiensis), which leads to the basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura. To the right is the Pyramid of Caius Cestius: a roman tomb with a burial chamber inside, the tomb of Caius Cestius Epulones. Next to it is the Protestant Cemetery, running parallel to the Aurelian Walls, where the English Romantic poets Keats and Shelley, the son of Goethe, and many other famous foreign poets and men of letters are buried. Leaving Rome through the Porta San Paolo, we take the Via Ostiense (2 km) to St.Paul's, passing, just before we reach it, a roman cemetery known as the Sepolcreto Ostiense. The Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura is the largest church in the city after St.Peter's. In july 1823 it was almost completed destroyed, together with its inestimable artistic treasures, by a fire. It was rebuilt in 1823-29. The facade, decorated with large mosaics, is preceded by a large four-sided arcade (G.Sacconi). The interior, vast and majestic, consists of a nave and four aisles delimited by 80 huge monolithic columns. The basilica contains a number of precious works of art: the Triumphal Arch separating the transept from the nave with 5th century mosaics; the 13th century Ciborium or Canopy by Arnolfo di Cambio, saved from the fire; the same age mosaic in the apse representing Christ and the Apostles; the wonderful 12th century Paschal Candlestick (in the cosmatesque style, by Vassalletto); and the Chapel of the Crucifix with frescoes by Maderno. Another wonderful masterpiece annexed to the basilica is its superb early 13th century Cloister, again the work of the Vassalletto family.
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