Rome's Historical Districts - III

NAME
The name of the district means "column", referring to the Column of Marcus Aurelius, or Antonine Column (late 2nd century AD), now standing in piazza Colonna.
The mediaeval name Regio Columne et Sancte Marie in Aquiro, mentioned the aforesaid column and the church of Santa Maria in Aquiro, founded probably around year 400, whose name is of uncertain etymology (its early form was in Cyro). The church is still standing, though it's shape was altered and enlarged in the 16th century.

COAT OF ARMS
In some versions it features three bands variously oriented over a white background.
More often, the bands are replaced by a column, whose shaft in a spiral pattern clearly refers to the one of Marcus Aurelius.

the Column of Marcus Aurelius	BOUNDARY Piazza Mignanelli; via Frattina; piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina; via di Campo Marzio; via della Maddalena; via del Pantheon; piazza della Rotonda; via del Seminario; piazza Sant'Ignazio; via del Caravita; via del Corso; via delle Muratte; via di Santa Maria in Via; piazza San Claudio; via del Pozzetto; via del Bufalo; via del Nazareno; via del Tritone; piazza Barberini; via Veneto; via Sant'Isidoro; via degli Artisti; via Francesco Crispi; via Capo le Case; via dei Due Macelli.

MAIN FEATURES
(the black numbers in square brackets refer to the map below)

painted house in via Sistina (1890)	The shape of Colonna is similar to that of a jigsaw puzzle piece, fitting among different neighbor districts: on its western side it covers a part of the ancient Campus Martius plains (see Campo Marzio district), while on its eastern side it penetrates between the same Campo Marzio (IV) and Trevi (II), reaching one side of the Pincio Hill, where the streets grow rather steep.	a detail of the column's reliefs

Colonna was never densely populated before the late 16th century, when a considerable number of palazzi were built by rich and noble families, especially along via Lata (presently via del Corso).

The two halves of the district join not far from piazza Colonna [1], the square where the famous column of Marcus Aurelius stands. It is similar in shape to Trajan's column, built about 70 years earlier, with scenes in relief winding all the way up to the top, depicting the campaigns fought by the emperor against German and Bohemian tribes (AD 171-173, lower half of the column) and against the Sarmatians, i.e. people living in today's Ukraine (AD 174-175, upper half of the monument). The column consists of 28 cylindres of marble, slightly less than 4 m (13 ft) in diameter, with a staircase in the centre, lit by thin windows along the column's shaft.

	As of the late 1500s, above the monument stands a bronze statue of St.Paul (left) that pope Sixtus V had set there; originally, above the column a similar statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius could be found, but it went lost during the centuries. On the same occasion, the monument was also placed on a new base, featuring an inscription which wrongly states that the column was dedicated to Antonine Pius, father of Marcus Aurelius (whence the frequent yet incorrect alternative name of 'Antonine Column').	the 'Antonine Column' in a map of 1575, still without a statue and resting on the original base

Looking carefully at the central part of the column, it appears slightly crooked: during the Middle Ages, some strong earthquakes rocked the monument, causing a few blocks to be shifted out of axis, although it is still steady enough.

Below the column is a beautiful late 16th century fountain shaped as a tub, by Giacomo Della Porta (see Fountains, part III, page 4). Opposite the fountain, on the other side of the road, is the large façade of the Galleria Alberto Sordi (formerly Galleria Colonna), Rome's most elegant public arcade, described in the relevant page. In the adjacent square stands Palazzo di Montecitorio [2], the see of the House of Deputies (lower house) of the Italian Parliament. Its name probably comes from the Latin Mons Acceptorius, a small artificial embankment created by pre-roman dwellers in order to drive stilts into this swampy ground, and build dry huts where to live. During the centuries it flattened, although the pavement leading to the Parliament's building is still slightly sloping. Its original project was drawn by Gianlorenzo Bernini around 1650, but it was only finished half a century later, when it became Rome's main law court.	the front of Palazzo di Montecitorio

Below the column is a beautiful late 16th century fountain shaped as a tub, by Giacomo Della Porta (see Fountains, part III, page 4).
Opposite the fountain, on the other side of the road, is the large façade of the Galleria Alberto Sordi (formerly Galleria Colonna), Rome's most elegant public arcade, described in the relevant page.

In the adjacent square stands Palazzo di Montecitorio [2], the see of the House of Deputies (lower house) of the Italian Parliament. Its name probably comes from the Latin Mons Acceptorius, a small artificial embankment created by pre-roman dwellers in order to drive stilts into this swampy ground, and build dry huts where to live. During the centuries it flattened, although the pavement leading to the Parliament's building is still slightly sloping.
Its original project was drawn by Gianlorenzo Bernini around 1650, but it was only finished half a century later, when it became Rome's main law court.

the front of Palazzo di Montecitorio

Only after the fall of the Papal State, in 1870, it became the lower house of Parliament; but since it soon proved too small for the growing number of deputies, it had to be enlarged, by doubling its depth: in fact, the back of the building, in a typical Art Nouveau style of the early 1900s, makes a sharp contrast with the late 17th century front.

In front of Palazzo di Montecitorio stands the Egyptian obelisk of Psamtik II (see Obelisks, page 1, for more details).

Gabriele Fonseca's bust by Bernini	Along the northern part of the district's boundary is one of Rome's oldest churches, San Lorenzo in Lucina, entitled after the name of Lucina, a lady who in ancient Rome hosted in her house one of the first places of worship for Christian believers, in times when this religion was still proscribed. The church, completely rebuilt in the early 1100s, and altered inside in the 1600s, still features its medieval porch and belltower. Bernini's lovers may wish to visit a chapel in this church, which he drew for the Fonseca family in his late years, with a bust of physician Gabriele Fonseca (c.1670) also by him, featured in the attitude of leaning from a window, in Bernini's typical arrangement of subjects almost as elements of a theatre scene.	San Lorenzo in Lucina

Not far, in piazza di Pietra [3], one side of a late 17th century building, which used to house the customs' offices, is completely covered by the impressive remains of the Temple of Hadrian (195 AD). These eleven columns are the only part of the ancient roman structure now left, but thanks to the brilliant solution of incorporating them within the more steady building, they look much better than simple "fragments". On the left of the temple, a narrow winding lane leads to piazza di Sant'Ignazio, a charming square famous for its peculiar elliptical shape, where the church of Sant'Ignazio stands, just beyond the boundary with Rione IX (Pigna).

piazza Sant'Ignazio	The late 18th century building opposite the church [4] was nicknamed burrò, a local corruption of the word bureau, because during the French occupation of Rome it housed some government offices (i.e. bureau), and because the same shape of the building resembles a chest of drawers (also called a bureau). The form burrò has also survived in the name of the aforesaid lane, that winds all around this building.	remains of the Temple of Hadrian

In the corner of the district where Colonna joins Sant'Eustachio (R.VIII) and Pigna (R.IX), the narrow yellowish façade of Santa Maria Maddalena [5] overlooks a small shady square.

Santa Maria Maddalena	The church, whose name is popularly shortened in Maddalena, took one century and a half to be completed, having the works started in the late 1500s on the site of a pre-existing 14th century chapel, while its front in glamorous rococo style (late ornate baroque) clearly reveals a much later dating, 1735. The history of this church is linked to the life of Camillo de' Lellis (1550-1614), a mercenary captain who, after being healed from a wound, decided to give up weapons and dedicate his life to the sick. He became a man of religion, and for the rest of his life worked in the hospital which once stood by Santa Maria Maddalena's church, where he was also buried. He was proclaimed saint shortly after the building was finished, and up to the late 19th century, on the day of his death (July 14), the faithful were given a special healing potion obtained by mixing water with a little dirt coming from the saint's tomb. The other side of Colonna district reserves fewer features to the visitor, having this area been inhabited especially by foreign communities (the French and the Spanish ones were the largest). Around the late 16th century via Felice [6], presently via Sistina, was opened to connect the Pincio Hill with Monti's larger district. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many sculptors and painters chose the local penthouses for their roman studios, thus turning this part of Colonna almost into an artist neighborhood.

Santa Maria Maddalena

The church, whose name is popularly shortened in Maddalena, took one century and a half to be completed, having the works started in the late 1500s on the site of a pre-existing 14th century chapel, while its front in glamorous rococo style (late ornate baroque) clearly reveals a much later dating, 1735.
The history of this church is linked to the life of Camillo de' Lellis (1550-1614), a mercenary captain who, after being healed from a wound, decided to give up weapons and dedicate his life to the sick. He became a man of religion, and for the rest of his life worked in the hospital which once stood by Santa Maria Maddalena's church, where he was also buried. He was proclaimed saint shortly after the building was finished, and up to the late 19th century, on the day of his death (July 14), the faithful were given a special healing potion obtained by mixing water with a little dirt coming from the saint's tomb.

The other side of Colonna district reserves fewer features to the visitor, having this area been inhabited especially by foreign communities (the French and the Spanish ones were the largest). Around the late 16th century via Felice [6], presently via Sistina, was opened to connect the Pincio Hill with Monti's larger district. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many sculptors and painters chose the local penthouses for their roman studios, thus turning this part of Colonna almost into an artist neighborhood.

the two angels by Bernini in Sant'Andrea delle Fratte,
holding the title of the Cross (left)
and the crown of thorns

Sant'Andrea delle Fratte [7] is a church of ancient origin which once belonged to the Scottish community of the district. The original name was Sant'Andrea inter Hortos, i.e. "among the gardens" which stretched on this side of the Pincio; the title was turned into delle Fratte around the 16th-17th century, simply adapting it to the roman dialect (fratte = "bushes, wild vegetation").
The church is known for having one of the fancy belltowers designed by Francesco Borromini, and because it houses two angel statues by Bernini, whose original purpose was to decorate Sant'Angelo Bridge (see Rione V, Ponte).

In fact, the nephew of pope Clement IX wanted them for himself, so he had them replaced with copies, also carved by Bernini; later in time the two statues ended up in this church, where they are still on display.

Borromini's fancy belltower