The Via Giulia is a succession of churches, palaces and curious places.

 

Start at the Ponte Sisto end [A on map above]

 

The Ponte Sisto was for more than four hundred years the only bridge crossing the Tiber.  Though not properly part of Via Giulia, it entered directly into the road creating a natural pathway for those heading toward Castel St. Angelo and then St. Peters. The bridge takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV who restored the ancient Roman bridge Aurelio, which had collapsed in 589.  In the Jubilee of the year 1450, a huge crowd of pilgrims going to St. Peters caused the collapse of Ponte Sant' Angelo, killing many, so for the Jubilee of 1475, Pope Sixtus IV built the Ponte Sisto.  The circular "oculus" or eye within its central span was included to ease the river's pressure on the bridge in case of flood.

 

The Via Giulia starts at Piazza S. Vincent Pallotti with the 18th.C. building on the right side [1] being the seat of the Company Catholic Apostolate Pallottines. Their practice is to assist people to revive faith, rekindle charity and be apostles.  Next is the gate [2] which enters into the gardens of Palazzo Spada, with the main entrance of the Palazzo Spada further behind.

 

On the left at No.251, the Palazzo Pateras [3] has an interesting door lintel and the upper window is surmounted by a border with the coat of arms of the Pateras. It is the headquarters of the French Consulate.

 

The Fountain del Mascherone [4] that gives its name to the street leading up to the Piazza Farnese, was built by the Farnese in 1626 and has as its base a rectangular tank coming from Roman baths, above which rises a marble back, in the middle of which there is a roman grotesque mask in white marble. This spouts water to an underlying semi-basin in the form of a shell. The whole is surmounted by the heraldic lily of the Farnese family. It is said that for family occasions the fountain flowed with wine.

 

The gate to No.186 allows you to see the rear facade of the Palazzo Farnese [6], built in the second half of the 16th.C. by Vignola. The Farnese Palace is considered one of the finest Palaces in Rome and the garden, the loggia, friezes and the cornice, mostly the work of Michelangelo, are in beautiful balance and proportion.

 

The Farnese Arch [5], designed by Michelangelo and erected in 1603, was to link the gardens of the Palazzo Farnese with gardens of the Villa Farnesina on the other side of the Tiber.

 

After the arc is the church of St. Mary of Prayer and Death [7]. The church was built around 1538 on the initiative of the confraternity of the same name, which had as its aim to give burial to the unidentified "poor dead", found in the countryside or in the Tiber without identity. It was originally a very simple church, with an annexed oratory and a vast cemetery, partly underground partly on the banks of the Tiber.  These were almost completely destroyed in 1886 with the construction of the Tiber embankment. The archconfraternity grew over time in importance and fame and the Church, now too narrow, was demolished to be rebuilt in 1733-37. The facade is rich in columns and pillars on two orders; the doors and windows are decorated with winged skulls and a plaque reading "Hodie mihi, cras tibi", i.e. "Today to me, tomorrow to thee:” The interior decorations are a splendid collection of 18th.C. art with continuous macabre references . Stairs to the left of the main altar give access to an underground vault, all remains of the cemetery of the archconfraternity.  Even in the reduced current size, this is unique with its decorations, sculptures and chandeliers consisting of bones and skeletons. Over three centuries there were approximately 8,600 remains interred here.

 

Adjacent to the church is Palazzo Falconieri [8], built in the 16th.C. for the Cecci family but then sold to the Odescalchi family. In 1606 it was purchased by the Farnese and then transferred to Horace Falconieri who entrusted a restoration to Francesco Borromini in 1650. This enlarged the building and developed the facade from eight to eleven windows and added a second portal, equal to the one already existing on the left, surmounted by a balcony that has as the key of the arc, a head of Falco, the emblem of Falconieri. There is a fountain located at the back of the courtyard, allegedly by Borromini. At the end of the 19th.C. the palazzo was sold to the Medici del Vascello, then in 1927 to the Hungarian Government and became the office of the academy of Hungary.

 

Following there are a series of buildings from different periods. At No.167 you find the Palace of Guglielmo della Porto [9]. The Palazzo Cisterna at No.163 [10] originally belonged to della Porto and features a small balcony and inside, a courtyard with a fountain with lions. Immediately after there is the church of the Sienese community in Rome, S. Caterina da Siena [13], built in 1526. The tall door has the coat of arms of Siena and, at the sides of the large central window, Romolo and Remo with a wolf, another symbol of Siena, because Siena, according to the legend, was also founded by Remo. In the church are exhibited the flags of the ‘contrade’ of Siena which on 2 July and 16 August are used in the palio in Siena.

 

Next to the church (No.151) there is the palace of the 'Spanish Establishments' [14], a former hospital complex built by the Spanish crown for pilgrims who fell sick during their pilgrimage to Rome. Opposite No.4, is Palazzo Guevara [11] featuring a courtyard with walled arches and a garden with a fountain with a grotesque mask. Following at No.16 is Palazzo Varese [12]. Here the cornice relief is adorned with eagles and towers and the courtyard features niches with preserved archaeological finds.

 

In an area already occupied by ancient buildings is the Liceo "Virgilio" [16] state school, built between 1936 and 1939. The school incorporated what remained of the Collegio Ghisleri, a college that until 1928 housed children of ‘lapsed’ noble families. The door of Palazzo Ghisleri [18], located at No.38, has the Holy Family and an inscription with a coat of arms that extols Giuseppe Ghisleri, founder of the Institute.  In front of the Liceo Virgilio, at No. 147 we find Palazzo Ricci [15] whose facade dates back to 1634, although the building already existed in the 16th.C. It is characterized by windows decorated with roses and shields and by a frieze with trophies. Inside the courtyard are ancient artifacts.

 

Immediately after, at No.65 is the church of the Holy Spirit of the Neapolitans [17], so called for the community it serves. Its construction dates back to the beginning of the 17th.C. but has undergone several restorations. In 1574 the Brotherhood of the Neapolitans bought the ancient church of Sant'Aurea, but soon the church proved to be too small and in 1619 made way for a new larger temple. The current appearance of the facade dates back however to the 19th.C.  remake financed by Francis II of Bourbon who was buried here together with his wife until 1984. The interior has a single nave onto which open six side chapels with some interesting paintings including The martyrdom of San Gennaro by Di Luca Giordano.

 

In the area at the end of the Vicolo della Moretta there is a church dedicated to St. Philip Neri [19], practically the only structure remaining after the abandonment of the entire block over the course of the centuries. The church, also called St. Filippino for its small size, was erected on the ruins of the one dedicated to St. Trophimus, Archbishop of Arles by Rutilio Brandi in 1623. The building was annexed to a conservatory for poor girls and a small hospice. Restored several times, it was completely redone in 1853 under the pontificate of Pius IX. Intended for but spared from demolition in the 1930’s, it is the only remaining façade.

 

The next part of Via Giulia after Vicolo delle Prigioni, is dominated by the massive building of the Carceri Nuove [20] (new prisons) that has windows equipped with robust railings. The main entrance is at No.52 and the building now houses offices of the Ministry of Justice Anti-Mafia Commission. The Carceri Nuove were so called because it  replaced the older prisons located at Tor di Nona, Corte Savella and Borgo.  Pope Alexander VII directed that the building be used to accommodate those who escaped from the plague of 1656. Before arriving at the intersection with Via del Gonfalone is the juvenile prison [21] built under Pope Leo XII. This prison today houses a Criminal Museum.

 

At No.59 is the church of St. Maria del Suffragio [22], seat of the company founded in 1592 with the mission to pray for souls in purgatory. Construction began in 1662 and features a sober facade and small bell gable. The interior has a single nave and is far from the sophistication of the baroque style that was popular at the time. At the corner with Via dei Bresciani and Vicolo del Cefalo is a building with rows of large stones and seats facing the road. Known in Rome as "I Sofdi Via Giulia" (The sofas of Via Giulia) [23] these are ruins from the unfinished Palace of the Courts of the Curia, designed by Bramante.

 

At No.64 is located the church of St. Biagio della Pagnotta [24], (small loaves) built on the ruins of a temple of Neptune and so called because on the holy feast of 3 February, small loaves of bread are distributed to the faithful.  In addition, there is the ‘anointing of the throat’ in remembrance of St. Biagio, considered by popular tradition to be the healer of affections of the throat. No one knows the date of construction, but the church had a renovation in 1072 and a second reconstruction in the 18th.C. Since 1832 the church and convent have been entrusted to the Armenians.

 

At No.66 is located the Sacchetti Palace [25], perhaps the most valuable palace in Via Giulia, built by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, who lived there until the year of his death in 1546. The property was sold in 1648 to a family of Florentine origin. This has a great door, with a frame of marble that opens below a balcony, through which one enters a courtyard with arcades on pilasters.

 

On the opposite side, at No.93 is a house with beautiful stuccoes and the coat of arms of Pope Paul III.  The building at No.97-98 is the 17th.C. Palazzo Ricci Donarelli [26], which incorporates some terraced houses of the 15th.C. The architect owner was Giacomo della Porta. At the center of the current facade, above the frame of the window on the first floor is the coat of arms of Paul III surmounted by the papal tiara and keys and framed by two unicorns.  At No.85 is the house that has been traditionally considered as that of the artist Raffaello [29].

 

At No.79, we find the 16th century Palazzo Medici Clarelli [28], erected in 1535-36 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger as his private residence. On the death of Sangallo (1546) the property was sold to the Florentine Cresci.  In the course of the 17th.C. the palazzo was enlarged by lengthening the facade. It became the Consulate in Tuscany and later, the building became a barracks, then it was bought by the commune who oversaw its restoration. Today it hosts the offices of the local Town Hall.

 

Where Via Giulia joins with Piazza dell'Oro stands the church of St. Giovanni dei Fiorentini [30], built for the large community of ‘Fiorentina’ who lived in this area. It dates back to a 1508 decision to erect a temple dedicated to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence. In 1519 Pope Leone X Medici launched a competition involving all the greatest architects of the time.  Between the designs presented, among others, by Michelangelo, Raphael and Peruzzi, the pontiff chose that of Jacopo Sansovino, and construction began in early 1500. The church took a century to be completed and was continued by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, by Giacomo della Porta and Carlo Maderno, to whom we owe the characteristic elongated Dome (1614), which Romans have baptized "the sucked sweet". The bell tower has an ancient bell with, written in English, "Mary is my name" that is similar to one in St. Paul's Cathedral London. The travertine facade of the Church was erected only in 1734. The majestic interior has three naves, with five chapels on either side and a barrel vault. The floor was redone in 1845. The church was mainly decorated by Tuscan artists.

 

This road has a rich history of episodes and curiosity. If by some magical chance the incredible heritage of art and culture that the palaces preserve inside them, suddenly became visible to the outside, Via Giulia would become one of the greatest exhibitions of treasures in the world. Despite the upheavals caused by the construction of the embankment walls on the Tiber River, Via Giulia still preserves much of its charm: the road follows the same 16th.C. path and the palaces still preserve the memory of the elegant decorations that once graced them. Many define it as the most beautiful street in Rome.