HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

EN DIGTERS BAZAR, 1842

written by Sergio Caggìa with Michele von Buren for © Nerone the Insider's Guide to Rome

 

If you decide to go and see the sun-dial of S.M.degli Angeli it is worth stopping at the Sala Ottagona, a place belonging to the great Termae of Diocleziano (open every day 10am-1pm and 3pm-6pm). Here you'll find a number of beautiful sculptures which belonged to the Baths but lost their function when in 537 a.D. Vitige (king of Goti) destroyed the acqueducts. This event forced the population of this area to move downhill to the Tiber river. I've found out that the Sala Ottagona was intended to became a granary by Pope Gregory XIII in 1575, together with other rooms around the Basilica which was built 1561-63 under Pope Pio IV. These places kept this function at least until the middle of the 19th century when H.C.Andersen wrote these lines: "It is said thet this Baths were part of the ancient city walls and they occupy a considerable space. Now, a part seems to be used for storing hay and another part was transformed into a big hospital; next to it, through a series of broken arches and crumbling walls, there is a small door that reminds one of the entrance to a chapel and, instead, you enter and find yourself in one of the biggest and most beautiful churches in Rome; I see some foreigners wondering to and fro along the marble floor, I see a priest pulling back a curtain in one part to display one of the paintings: the door leading to the cloisters is barely open and if you glance through, you risk wanting to remain there for ever, because there, as in the church, there is nothing oppressive.    A large and ample portico closes in a garden that boasts the tallest cypress trees in the City. I have never seen such tall and leafy poplars to equal these and which cast shade over the fountain. The desire comes to work together with the priest planting aromatic herbs in the miniature gardens in front of the cells; each of these little gardens is a shelter which has for its roof a trellis thick with leaves and in front orange and lemon trees. The hot rays of the sun play amongst the dark leaves and concentrate their ardour in the luminous fruits of gold. From this perfumed chapel enshrined in green nature, the priest enters in the big church of God, kneels down and pays homage to God in silent meditation". A commemorative stone inside the church remembers S.Carlo Borromeo, the priest Antonio Lo Duca and St.Filippo Neri who together convinced Pope Pio IV to build the Basilica. St. Filippo Neri was loved by his contemporaries who affectionately used to call him "Pippo Bono" (the good Philip). Today his church, which can be found in the middle of Via Giulia (corner Vicolo Moretta), is unfortunately abandoned and in ruins! I think it would have been fun to participate in one of the walks he used to organise around Rome. Think about it: hundreds of people, families with children, walking in the countryside around Rome from one church to another starting from the Vatican and ending at S.Maria Maggiore! Visiting seven Basiliche and stopping for a pic nic on the grass...after a while it became an event and some walks involved thousands of people and needed a great deal of organization! On these sunny days, he used to celebrate mass outside, in the countryside, meeting the approval of many faithful and giving rise to a feast that remained long in Romans' memories.