Attractions in Trieste - Nomentana - Montesacro - Salario - Nuovo Salario (Rome)

Quartiere Coppedé

This area is called a district, but it really lies within the district of Trieste. It was mostly built during the 1930s so has many square blocks of apartments that were typical of the period. It was designed by architect Gino Coppedé, after whom it was named. The street to see is Via Dora, which culminates in Piazza Mincio. Coppedé made use of floral motifs typical of Art Nouveau. Also note the balcony that unites two palazzos and which supports an enormous streetlight. The period setting and peacefulness of the area means that it is often chosen for film sets.

Santa Costanza

On Via Nomentana, after Villa Torlonia, you will find the Mausoleum of Santa Costanza. The building dates from the early 4th century and was built by the daughters of Emperor Constantine, Costanza and Elena. It was originally a baptistery of the nearby basilica of Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura and only became a church in the mid-13th Century. The circular building is a fine example of early Christian and late Roman architecture. The interior is divided by 12 pairs of granite columns adorned with marble capitals. The side apses have rich mosaics from the 5th and 7th Centuries, while the square niche opposite the entrance contains a copy of the sarcophagus of Costanza. The original was taken to the Vatican. The church also has ancient murals that have survived to the modern day.Exiting onto the Via Nomentana, there is the convent and the rectory. It was in the latter that Pope Pius IX and his retinue were miraculously saved when the floor below them collapsed. A fresco in the chapel known as the Pius IX's room commemorates the scene and can be seen from the courtyard.

Fontana delle Rane

The Tuscan architect Gino Coppedé designed this froggy fountain in Piazza Mincio, as well as much of the surrounding district which has taken his name. If you look at the basin at its center you can see eight small frogs in a circle, each sitting at an equal distance from the others. They look like they are about to jump into the jet of water which spouts from the hole in the middle of the basin. The frogs also have water coming out of their mouths. There are another four frogs inside the shells as well as a huge bee which was put there in honor of Bernini.

Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura

Costanza, niece of Constantine, had this basilica erected in honor of the martyred St Agnes, one of the most venerated Roman saints, and for the conservation of her remains. The original complex was conceived of as a majestic construction, the traces of which can still be seen from the Piazza Annibalino area. The present church was built in the 7th Century in the Byzantine style. The mosaic in the apse depicts St Agnes with the symbols of martyrdom and the Popes Simmaco and Onorio at the sides, the latter with a model of the church in his hand. One of its many restorations added the bell-tower and the coffered ceiling in gilded wood. Under the high altar is the tomb of the martyrs Agnes and Emerenziana. The former's statue stands above the altar; it was made in 1605, using the torso of an ancient alabaster statue, to which were added the head, hands and the clothes in gilded bronze. The catacombs on three levels, devoid of pictures, were constructed during the time of the Christian persecution.

Catacombe di Priscilla

On Via Salaria, near to Via Ada, are the catacombs of Priscilla. Seven popes were buried here. They were victims of emperor Diocleziano's persecutions, along with various saints and 300 presumed martyrs. Catacombe di Priscilla extends along two levels. Benedictine nuns act as tour guides. The older, upper level, dates from the beginning of the 3rd Century, a date which is confirmed by the stamps on the building which are from the Caracalla era. In the vaults of the gallery of sarcophagi, there is a famous painting depicting Mary with the Baby and the prophet Isaia, from the early 3rd Century. The most important funerary monument is the Cappella Greca, so-called on account of the two inscriptions in Greek painted on the plaster of a nook. The catacombs are covered in frescoes with images taken from the Old and the New Testaments.

Porta Pia

Raffaele Cadorna entered Rome through this gate and, since then, every September 20, crowds gather here to commemorate the Risorgimento. The monumental gate by Michelangelo, who designed it for Pope Pius IV, was later completed with the statues of two saints and a painting of the Madonna on the outer side at the command of Pope Pius IX. The nearest point, la Breccia, is decorated with commemorative plaques. In 1932, a statue dedicated to the Bersaglieri (Italian light infantrymen) was erected in the square, and in 1936 the statues of the saints that had been damaged on that fateful September 20 were restored. A mosaic reproducing the painted image of the Madonna was also added, as the original was damaged during the artillery's fire.

Ponte Nomentano

At Monte Sacro, on Via Nomentana, you reach this lovely bridge with towers and battlements: its history includes the appeasement between Menenius Agrippa and the Roman plebeians, after the rebellion of the latter who took refuge on Monte Sacro. The bridge was later destroyed and rebuilt, and it has been identified as the bridge on which Pope Leo III and Charlemagne met for the coronation of the Carlovingian king as emperor. The Nomentano bridge was the site of many battles over the centuries, and the successive rebuilding operations led to its fortification.

Villa Torlonia

Construction of this villa began in the early 19th Century, and the architect entrusted with the commission was Valadier, whose other works include the Piazza del Popolo. As years passed by, other portions of land were purchased in order to extend the park, which was landscaped by garden architect Augusto Jappelli. The villa was the private residence of Benito Mussolini from 1925 to 1943, when he was the Head of Government: after World War II it was used as the headquarters of the Anglo-American command in Rome.

L'Ipogeo di Via Livenza

Walking down a long staircase, you will find a deep but small vat. Around you, there are the colors of the frescoed and mosaic-covered walls and ceilings. You can see Diana, surrounded by deer and the nymphs of her court, while in a bright yellow niche, there are doves drinking from a spring. Near the vat small children play and fish. The mosaic on the ceiling is not entirely visible due to the ravages of time, but some details can still be seen, such as two figures, one kneeling, and a spring gushing from a rock. This has caused some debate among scholars: Do the woodland scenes and the vat filled with water mean it was a nymphaeum? Was it an ancient place of baptism? An unusual feature is the presence of pagan figures alongside Christian symbols. The mystery has not yet been solved.

Via Salaria

This street is one of the oldest roads in Rome; it gets its name from the trade in salt that took place with the Sabina. Over the centuries, the road was divided into the Salaria Vecchia (Old Salaria) that has, over time, lost its importance, and the Salaria Nuova (New Salaria), the current road. Traces of ancient buildings can be seen amongst the modern buildings on each side. There are also medieval remains such as the catacombs of Bassilla, an underground basilica, and the catacombs of San Panfilo, Priscilla and Santa Felicita. The Giordani cemetery is also found on this street.

Sant' Eusebio

The church of Sant' Eusebio is devoted to St Eusebius and was built around the 5th century. Built using yellow and red stone, the structure resembles the Romanesque style. With round arches, thick walls and overall simplicity it stands out architecturally among churches in the spiritually influenced environment of Rome. Come here to pray and spend some time on the stairs below, taking in the serene surroundings.