Gianicolo
It is the best place to walk and admire the panorama of Rome from the height. The ancient Romans, the romantic travellers of '700, poets and writers of 800 had a walk here looking for the inspiration.
The hill is 88 meters high with 64 meters of level difference from the top of the hill. It is called Gianicolo in honour of an ancient latin divinity Giano who according to the legend had two faces, one face was on the front and the other on the back
of the head. He was a kind of god who was afraid of being stabbed in the back.
The walk of the Gianicolo is the big avenue that crosses all the hill begining from the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola which Flaminio Ponzio and Giovanni Fontana constructed for Paolo V (1608-1612).
Together with Pincio it forms the most beautiful promenade of Rome made up in the end of '800 on the walls of Urban VIII. From the hill the incomparable sights are open. Along its avenues the marble busts remind about garibaldians who in 1849 defended the Roman Republic from the French troops.
In the Piazza Garibaldi at noon from 1904 the gun shoots a blow. Its echo can be heard in all the city.
The fulcrum of the way is the equestrian monument for Giuseppe Garibaldi (1895) represented the moment when he turned his glance towards the Vatican.
Around the pedestal there are four bronze groups: the Assault on the bayonet of the Lamarmora bersaglieri, America with the sculptures of commerce and industry, The Calatafimi battle, Europe with allegories of Genius and History. In this place the view embraces everything enclosed within the bend of the Tevere.
A little bit further one can see the lively equestrian monument to Anita Garibaldi of Mario Rutelli created in 1932.
At the foot of the monument the remains of Anita that arrived from Nizza are buried. To go ahead one can see the Villa Lante built by Giulio Romano in 1518-27, then Villa Helbig which is now a seat of Finnish Legation at the Holy Seat.
The Most beautiful and most complete view of Rome can be overlooked near the Faro designed by Manfredo Manfredi and donated to the capital by Italians in Argentine in honour to Garibaldi and which in the evening throw into the town
tricoloured lightbeams.
In the last stroke of the way one can see what is remained from the Oak of Tasso struck by lightning. A plaque reminds that at the shadow of this oak the dying poet was indulging into memories and that later San Filippo Neri "felt like a child with children" here.
A little bit further there is the amfitheatre with stairs turned towards the panorama of Roma and shaded by a file of pine-trees.
The walk ends up in the Piazzale Sant'Onofrio where one could see four holm-oaks, a fountain and the Sant'Onofrio church founded in 1419 by Beato Nicola from Forca Palena, anchkorets of San Girolamo.
The records of Rome. Big numbers, not always enviable, for a big city.
New Phot-O-Matic section. To spend some time looking at photos (also) of Rome.
The administrative, urban, toponymic and imaginative subdivisions of Rome.
Notice for tourists: in Rome you drink for free. Historical fountains and 'big noses'.
Free museums return on the first Sunday of the month.
