Imago Urbis: Giuseppe Vasi's Grand Tour of Rome

  014.   Porta Settimiana        


    Porta Settimiana

The only nocturnal scene in the whole Magnificenze series depicts the exterior of Porta Settimiana in the Aurelian walls of Trastevere near the river. It was restored in 1451 by Pope Nicholas V (1447-55) and rebuilt by Alexander VI (1492-1503). The gate spans Via della Lungara which leads to a gate in the Borgo walls, Porta S. Spirito, Plate 15. Both of these gates became internal to the city after the Baroque walls were built by Urban VIII (1623-44) which effectively enclosed the area between Trastevere and Borgo. Through the gate we see the road continuing as Via della Scala, which follows an ancient Roman trace in a slight curve to S. Egidio, Plate 147, and then on to S. Maria in Trastevere, Plate 60, neither of which is visible in this print. Vasi seems to take pleasure in varying his handling of the two lanterns, the left one visibly casting long black shadows on the ground, while the right one, indicated only by a burst of light, silhouettes the figure about to enter a house.

   

Jim Tice, Erik Steiner, Allan Ceen, and Dennis Beyer
Department of Architecture and InfoGraphics Lab, Department of Geography, University of Oregon

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