Gianicolo

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The Janiculum seen from the northeast, on the left the white facade of the Church of San Pietro in Montorio , in the middle above Villa Aurelia , on the right Fontana Paola

The Gianicolo ( Latin Ianiculum , also called Janiculum ) is a hill in Rome that extends from the Trastevere district along the right bank of the Tiber to the Vatican City . The north-western part of the hill is in the extra-territorial possession of the Holy See , there is, among other things, the Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana . Like the Pincio , it is not one of the seven actual hills of Rome .

The entire area was excluded from the Pomerium , the ideal border of the sacred territory of Rome, until the time of Emperor Aurelian . Under Aurelian, the urban area was expanded and the hill was included.

The name goes back to the ancient Roman god Janus , who is said to have built a castle there, according to legend. This was already a ruin in the mythical prehistoric times.

The Gianicolo was essential for the control and defense of the city, so a flag was hoisted as a sign of security when popular assemblies were held on the Field of Mars . Important personalities were also buried here, such as B. the king Numa Pompilius and the poets Quintus Ennius and Caecilius Statius .

Garibaldi monument on the Gianicolo

The hill played an important role again when the French troops led by Pope Pius IX. had been called to help against the newly founded Roman Republic , launched an attack on April 29, 1849. The volunteers, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi , were forced to surrender after a two-month tough battle. The triumvirate of Mazzini , Armellini and Saffi , which had directed the fortunes of the short-lived republic, had to go into exile.

In 1895 a large monument to Garibaldi was erected on the highest point of the hill, flanked by a multitude of busts of other personalities from the Italian struggle for freedom. Along the road that leads from the Janiculum to the Vatican is a monument to Garibaldi's wife Anita Garibaldi , riding with pistol in hand and child in her arm, who was buried there according to Garibaldi's will.

In 1911, Italians who emigrated to Argentina donated the Faro del Gianicolo lighthouse , which was built by Manfredo Manfredi and shines over the city in the national colors of green, white and red in the evening.

The Palazzo Courtial is a Vatican hotel.

The hill has a height of 82  m slm. In the underground there is a huge bus station built for the anniversary year 2000, which also has a direct connection to St. Peter's Square .

Web links

Commons : Gianicolo  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Virgil , Aeneid 8, 355–358

Coordinates: 41 ° 53 ′ 30 "  N , 12 ° 27 ′ 40"  E