118.

Chiesa di S. Niccolò in Carcere

The early Christian church of S. Niccolò in Carcere was converted from an ancient temple whose front columns (1) are visible in the church facade. The ancient building was one of three side-by-side Republican temples in the Forum Holitorium near the Theater of Marcellus, Plate 30, which can just be seen rising above the building facing us. The nave of the church occupies the center temple, while the side aisles are in the spaces between the center temple and the two smaller temples flanking it. The side rows of columns of these two temples became the side walls of the church, as can be seen in the shaded left corner of S. Nicola where a single ancient column is incorporated into the wall. On the right side of the print, Vasi does some topographical reconfiguration. From his point of view in front of the church, he would not have been able to see the fountain in Piazza Montanara (3). Furthermore the arch and alleyway (2) (Arco e Vico che va...) do not open onto the space in front of the church, but rather onto the street which leads to Piazza Montanara. The Nolli plan shows the correct location of the alleyway that he calls Vicolo della Bufala. The "street that goes toward S. Galla" Strada delle Carrozze (4) was a continuation of the street leading to Piazza Montanara. With the exception of the church and the Theater of Marcellus, all the buildings and streets shown in this print disappeared in the 1930s for the building of Via del Mare, the present Via del Teatro Marcello.