001a.

Muro inchinato, o Muro torto

This view of the Muro torto shows walls taken about 400 meters (approximately 1,300 feet) east of Porta del Popolo, Plate 1, looking back toward that gate. Vasi describes the great block of the walls in the foreground as inchinato (bowing or stooping) or torto (twisted or bent) the latter being the traditional name used to describe this section of the Imperial wall circuit. The outward inclination of the wall to which Vasi refers is the result of the hydrostatic pressure of the Pincian hill against which it is built. To underscore this seemingly precarious condition, Vasi depicts the well dressed gentleman with the upraised arm as appearing to be worried about the stability of the artifact. The walled enclosure shown to the right in the print lies between the city walls and the Via del Muro Torto which is referred to by Nolli as the Luogo dove si seppelliscono gl'Impenitenti (place where the unrepentant are buried. The rendering of the lower part of the leaning block is uncharacteristically crude for Vasi and may be the work of another hand.