So You're Staying in Monti - Part Three

Monti is a great place to stay when you are ready to visit the monuments of ancient Rome.  You are literally in the midst of the most ancient part of Rome and down the street from the Colosseum!  From the Via dei Serpenti, you an see the Colosseum is perfectly framed at the end of the street.  There is no need for directions - it is a straight shot.

Don't - Don't head directly for the Colosseum.

I'm asking you consider a slight detour.

First of all, the reason the Colosseum is so visible from this vantage pint is that in late 1895 the government of Rome extended the Via dei Serpenti by cutting a massive trench through the hill that was blocking access!  As you approach the Colosseum and cross the Via Cavour, you see immediately the result of this engineering feat; the feel of the street is different, the name has changed to Via degli Annibaldi, and you are in between two retaining walls on a street clearly designed for cars.

In fact, Tom Cruise appears trapped on this street in Mission Impossible.  I feel you, Tom.  This street is very confining!

If you were to continue toward the Colosseum you will pass under a pedestrian bridge where tourists are getting fantastic pictures.  You will ask yourself, how do I get onto that bridge? My shortcut will allow you to avoid this narrow street and will end on the bridge for your fantastic pictures.  

Moreover, you will pass by the place where the 6th king of Rome was murdered by his daughter, you will pass the residence were the Borgia children and their mother lived, and you will see the church which holds the relics of the chains of St. Peter and Michaelangelo’s statue of Moses.  This is quite the trade off - and the effort and detour is minimal! You will end up at the pedestrian ridge taking beautiful pictures of the Colosseum!

The Shortcut

As you travel down the Via dei Serpenti, turn left onto the Via Cavour.  Actually, it is at this intersection that the Via dei Serpenti ends, and the street that continues to the Colosseum is called the Via degli Annibali.

In a very short distance you will reach a set of stairs.  Go up these stairs and you will find yourself in the piazza of the church of St. Peter in Chains!

Before you alight these stairs, though, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you of the MILLENIA of history in this very spot.

Vicus Sceleratus, originally known as the Street of Crimes.  

• The early history of Rome. According to Roman tradition, this is where Tullia, daugher of the king of Rome, drove her chariot over the body of her father, King Servius Tullius, to secure the throne for her husband so that he could be the next king of Rome, traditionally dated to 535 BC.
  

• The Borgia Connection.  The palazzo, or palace, at the top of the stairs on the right is the Palazzo Borgia, the home of Vannozza dei Cattanei, the mother of four of the Children of Pope Alexander VI (Pope, 1492 - 1503). Yes - Pope Alexander VI had many children, and this was the home that he established for the mother and his children, Lucretia, Cesare, Juan, and Gioffre. Cesare Borgia was one of the most notorious individuals of history, and is the subject of Machiavelli’s work, The Prince. You are passing alongside the home of the mother of this individual (and the subject of Showtime's series, The Borgia.)

  
  

At the top of the stairs you will find yourself in the piazza in front of the church of Saint Peter in Chains. Enter this magnificent church. Inside, at the altar, you will find the chains that bound Paul as we was imprisoned in Rome. And, at the right, you will see the powerful statue of Moses by Michaelangelo. The accessibility here is astounding. Rarely have I found this church crowded, and virtually no barrier separates you from this powerful statue. I have written about this church in two previous posts:

• San Pietro in Vincoli

• The Relics of Saint Peter

As you leave the church, turn left - that is continue in the direction you were headed, away from the staircase.  (You may be curious - the next building on the left is a university, and the last time I was in Rome, the piazza and the street were full of happy, celebrating, graduating students  The air was very festive, and was a delight to be in their midst.)

Make your FIRST right, and head down this very non-descript street.  After this one block you will find yourself on the pedestrian ridge over the Via degli Annibali.

Enjoy the magnificence of the Colosseum.

Google Maps

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