Michelangelo's Capitol Square. Capitoline Hill in Rome: history, opening hours and location. Treasures of the Capitol - ruins, square, museums and churches

On the smallest among the seven Roman hills is Capitoline Square - a symbol of power and greatness.

History of occurrence

In the 1530s, Michelangelo was actively creating architectural projects, even building some structures in Rome on their basis. The buildings within Capitol Hill are considered the most significant. Some buildings did not have time to be reconstructed during his lifetime, but thanks to this master, the Capitoline Square received a trapezoidal shape. It was he who contributed to the creation of its harmonious appearance by creating plans for the restoration and restructuring of adjacent palaces and other architectural objects. On the wide staircase he created, you can go down to a residential city block. It is decorated with ancient Egyptian marble lions. Other statues were added in 1583, after the excavation of Pompey's theater. There are many sculptures and ancient inscriptions in the Capitoline Square. All of them symbolize the strength and greatness of ancient Rome. Sculptures-allegories of rivers have been decorating the square since 1549.

Architecture

Capitoline Square - the first of the squares of Rome, was created on the basis of the plan. The beautiful symmetrical ensemble was designed by Michelangelo in 1536. Actually, the square has retained the appearance he created. Three buildings are located on its sides: the Palace of the Conservatives, the New Palace and the Palace of the Senators. An equestrian statue with a large silhouette stands out in the middle of the square. This sculpture, striking in its calmness, belongs to Marcus Aurelius. Initially, its location was the slope of the Capitol near the Roman forum, but in the twelfth century it was decorated with the Lateran Square. In 1538, Pope Paul III ordered to transfer it to the Capitol. This statue survived both during the barbarian raids and during the Middle Ages, it was not destroyed by ardent adherents of Christianity, for whom all the sculptures were like idols. She probably survived into the Middle Ages only because many mistook her for Constantine the Great, who was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. We are unlikely to be mistaken in asserting that the statue of Marcus Aurelius became a model for similar sculptural creations of the subsequent time, among which there is a monument to Peter the Great (Mikhailovsky Castle) - the work of Rastrelli.

Neighborhood.

Not far from the Capitoline Square, you can stay in a small cozy hotel Argentina, where there are only seven rooms, but they are equipped with air conditioning, a TV and a minibar. Close to this place is Venice Square with the castle of the same name.

Note to the tourist

Among the most famous Roman squares, you will certainly find mention of the Capitoline. It has been a landmark for the population of Rome since ancient times. People's meetings were held there, imperial decrees were announced, and various ceremonies were held. Once in this place: a market functioned between two hills. It was here that Emperor Augustus heard from the lips of the Sibyl the prediction of the birth of Christ.

On our first trip to Italy, we diligently visited all the museums and attractions according to the guidebook. Noted in the Capitol Museum. In general, I don’t really like antique sculptures, but it was still interesting, I especially wanted to see the original Capitoline she-wolf. The museum also has a separate Pinakothek with paintings by Rubens, Titian, Caravaggio.

Two staircases lead to Capitol Square. Steep marble steps - there are one hundred and twenty-four, leading to the church of Santa Maria in Araceli, were built in the XIV century as an attempt to appease the Virgin Mary during the Black Death epidemic. They were brought from the Quirinal Hill and once led to the Temple of the Sun. Before the Renaissance, these were the only steps leading to the Capitol. If you climb them, it is immediately clear that they were designed for strong Roman calves. Climbing the stairs leading to the church of Santa Maria in Araceli is harder than hundreds of small Renaissance steps. When the architects created the square on the Capitol, they faced the problem of making a rise that would be worthy of the ancient span that already existed and at the same time would not compete with it. So, they did not make a flight of stairs, but something like a gentle ramp, it starts next to the more ancient steps, has a slight slope and easily and gracefully leads to the top. There is something in this from the politeness of a young man who lets the elders go first.

The first thing you will see on the square is Marcus Aurelius sitting on a horse, behind him stands the Palace of Senators. To the emperor's left is the Capitoline Museum and to the right is the Conservative Palace; both buildings contain the finest treasures of Ancient Rome.

A couple of quotes from Marcus Aurelius:
"This is the way to perfection - to live each new day as if it were the last, without falling into a fever or hibernation and without trying to play a role."
“If someone harms you, immediately try to look at everything from his point of view, regardless of whether it is good or bad. As soon as you understand him, you will feel sorry for him, you will no longer be surprised at his act, nor angry with him.
"Whatever anyone says or does, it is my duty to be kind."
Ironically, he owes the preservation of his bronze equestrian statue in a street in Rome to a magnificent early Christian error: he was confused with Constantine the Great.

This perfect piazza was conceived by Michelangelo, although completed by his followers. It was he who carried Marcus Aurelius from the Lateran, where he stood for five hundred years, and placed him on a pedestal made from a column of the temple of Castor and Pollux; and here he is riding a horse, the prototype of all bronze riders who since that time spur their horses in the streets and squares of the world.

After admiring the square, we go to the museum. Museums are housed in three palaces Let's start with the New Palace.

Venus Capitoline (left). Someone, wanting to save "Venus" from the Christians and fearing that she would be sent to the fire, like a pagan goddess, carefully immured her in a hiding place, where she spent the entire Renaissance, coming out into the world completely intact in the 18th century. This is one of the most beautiful statues of Venus, although it is obvious that in ancient Rome they did not appreciate a thin waist - this is an achievement of the Middle Ages with their corsets.

Making marble and bronze emperors must have been a profitable business in Rome. The faces of emperors were sent by the state to the cities and towns of the Empire, just as photographs of a reigning monarch are now sent to British embassies. They probably expected loyalty, even from the inhabitants of remote places.

The Capitoline Wolf is a bronze sculpture dating from the 5th century BC. and has been kept in Rome since antiquity. Depicts a she-wolf nursing two babies - Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city. In 2006, Anna Maria Carruba, a metallurgy specialist who restored the Capitoline she-wolf, published her conclusions: in her opinion, the sculpture of the she-wolf (not babies) could not have been made before the 8th-10th centuries. The fact is that in antiquity they did not know how to cast large statues as a whole: they were made in parts, and then welded. The she-wolf was made immediately and entirely. Metal studies published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica point to the 13th century as the most likely date for the statue's appearance.
At the same time, the authorship of the sculptures of the babies Romulus and Remus, obviously made in a different manner, was documented. They were added to the sculpture by Antonio del Pollaiolo in the 15th century.

Statue of Marcus Aurelius

Medusa Bernini

Centaurs Furietti

Museum ceilings

In general, the museum is not very large, it is enough to spend about 2-3 hours there

When writing the report, information was used, including from Henry Morton's book "Walks in Rome".

A more complete version of the story

The Capitoline Square is an architectural ensemble that has been built over the course of several centuries on top of one of the seven legendary hills of Rome. Now its buildings house the most important archaeological and artistic expositions of Rome.

Its modern appearance took shape for the most part in the High Renaissance according to the project, although the overall construction progressed extremely slowly and by the end of the architect's life, in 1564, not even half of the planned buildings were erected. After 1564, the work was headed by a student of Michelangelo - Giacomo della Porta, and then a student of Giacomo - Girolamo Rainaldi (he was assisted by his son, Carl Rainaldi). The Capitoline Square was finally considered completed in 1654, but some parts of the project were completed only in the first half of the 20th century.

The Capitol is known as the place where the vestal Tarpeia, the daughter of Spurius Tarpeia, the head of the Capitoline fortress, was executed for treason. According to legend, during the war with the Sabines, she opened the gates to the enemies, for which she was either thrown from the Capitol or thrown with shields by the Sabines themselves. Subsequently, the hill was settled by the Sabines. In the VIII century BC. e. here was the sanctuary of the god Vulcan. At the top stood the temple of the Capitoline Trinity, which was considered the most grandiose in the city, and several other important sacral buildings. Also on the Capitol was the state archive of Rome - the Tabularium, where people's decrees were stored. In addition, by the 16th century, there were also the Palace of Senators of the 10th century and the Palace of the Conservatives of the 15th century. All these buildings or their remains did not form a single ensemble. At one time, Capitol Hill was in such decline that it was even called Goat Hill, as goats grazed here.

According to some sources, it is known that the reason for the large-scale restructuring of the Capitol was the visit of Charles V, King, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, to Rome in 1536. The solemn procession was led by Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese). The procession could not climb the hill, as it was covered with thickets and ruins. In the same year, Paul III commissioned the creation of a project for a new square and the restoration of old buildings by Michelangelo, who soon prepared a detailed plan for the Capitoline Square. According to another version, the Pope was preparing Rome for the visit of the King of Spain in 1538. An idea of ​​​​the layout drawn up by Michelangelo is given by an engraving of 1568 by E. Duperac. It shows the area from a bird's eye view.

In total, the architect participated in the work for 10 years - from 1536 to 1546. His project turned out to be incredibly large-scale. First of all, Michelangelo turned the square in the direction of the new, Christian, center of Rome and simply in the direction of the main urban development. The main axis overlooked St. Peter's Basilica, which used to be on the outskirts of the city. Behind the Capitoline Square was the ancient center of the city - the Roman forum. It offers a beautiful view if you go around the Palace of Senators. In the center of the entire ensemble, Michelangelo placed an equestrian statue of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180) on a pedestal designed by him. (It survived only due to the fact that in Byzantine times it was mistaken for a statue of Constantine the Great (306-337), the first Christian emperor. Now a bronze copy has been installed instead of this sculpture, while the original has been placed in one of the archaeological museums of the Capitol.) Thus, it was the compositional axis of the ensemble is determined. Michelangelo had to deal with dilapidated medieval buildings that stood relative to each other at the wrong angle, that is, in fact, outside the urban planning system.

A solemn approach led to the complex - a wide and gentle staircase, Michelangelo arranged it, taking into account the relief. At the base of the staircase ramp are two ancient Egyptian marble lions. At the end of the ascent, on the edge of the square, in 1583, the statues of the Dioscuri, Castor and Polyeuctus, discovered during excavations in the theater of Pompey, were placed. Nearby, along the balustrade, they placed Trophies of Mario, statues of Constantine and Constantine II and two milestones from the Appian Way.

The incorrect location of the old buildings on the square - the Palace of the Senators (in the center) and the Palace of the Conservatives (on the right side) - forced Michelangelo to resort to optical distortion techniques and introduce the rules of reverse perspective into the structure of the square. Illusory effects were used by the architects of the Hellenistic and Roman eras. This architectural solution of the genius turned out to be so witty that it was accepted and developed in baroque architecture. Opposite the Palace of the Conservatives, Michelangelo erected the New Palace, symmetrical to it, placing it at the same angle in relation to the central Palace of the Senators. Thus, all three buildings, together with the square, formed a regular trapezoid: at the entrance to the square was its short side (40 meters), and in front of the Palace of Senators - long (54 meters). Therefore, the Palace of the Senators seems larger than it really is, and the facades of the side palazzos are longer. With a total area depth of 68 meters, an impressive monumental effect has been achieved. The trapezoid is played with a special pattern, which is laid out with travertine in the paving of the square: a complex twelve-pointed star is inscribed in the shape of an ellipse. The front side of the ellipse was narrower than the far side, which caused the whole figure to become ovoid. In perspective, when reduced, it creates the impression of a circle. According to the beautiful remark of one of the researchers of Michelangelo's work, Charlie de Tolnay, the star, with its thin structure, evokes the famous Latin expression "Caput Mund" (center of the world), which is usually attributed to Rome. It is interesting to understand why Michelangelo used a star in the pattern. The fact is that in Roman times, on the top of the Capitol, augurs were guessing, watching the phenomena in the sky. Hence the name of the temple to the left of the modern Capitoline Square is Santa Maria in Aracheli, which means the temple of Mary on the Altar of Heaven. Apparently, Michelangelo, designing the facing of the square in the form of a twelve-pointed star, with a clear allusion to the zodiac circle of the firmament, was guided by this knowledge of the Capitol.

Patterned paving of the square was not carried out during the Renaissance. Sometimes this is explained by pagan reminiscences, which is very doubtful, since the whole idea seems to be based on ancient inspiration. This emphasizes the abundance of antique sculptures, the architectural style of the buildings, and the expositions located in the buildings. The square was paved in accordance with the drawings of Michelangelo only in 1940 by order of Benito Mussolini, known, in addition to his political role in history, and archaeological interests. Michelangelo's idea is notable for its particular geometric clarity: the hierarchical center of the ensemble (the Senators' Palace) is revealed, the primacy of which is emphasized by the comparative modesty of the side structures (the New Palace and the Palace of the Conservatives). All buildings, including the central one, are united rhythmically and on a large scale: the proportions of divisions of facades are repeated, elements of their decor, the basis in the form of an order system. For each palazzo, Michelangelo designed a new façade.

The façade of the Palace of the Senators, on which the remains of the façade of the ancient Tabularium have been preserved, is especially emphasized by the use of a large order and large articulations. On both sides of the façade there are stair risers, according to Vasari's interpretation, symbolizing the great rivers Nile and Tiber. The ground floor is decorated with rustication, that is, an imitation of open stonework, while the second floor is plastered, and large pilasters separate its flat surface. Between them are pairs of windows with embossed figured architraves. The main axis is emphasized in the building. Above the roof rises the bell tower, which has become the main vertical axis of the Capitoline Square. In 1579, Martini Longhi, Michelangelo's successor, increased the planned height, and in front of the facade arranged a reservoir with figures of sea deities. The tower is crowned with the figure of Minerva, goddess of wisdom. At the foot of the stairs is another sculpture - "Rome Exulting", which depicts Minerva holding the globe. Its imperial symbolism is easy to understand.

The symmetrical, almost mirror-like facades of the Palace of the Conservatives and the New Palace play the role of the architectural “backstage” of the square. They, like the Palace of Senators, are two-tiered, but their first floor is an open gallery with seven spans, and not a solid massive basement. Pilasters connect both floors. Each opening is also flanked by two small columns placed close to the main supports. On the second tier, between the pilasters, there are large windows with platbands. The central axes are highlighted very modestly, only due to the enlargement of the upper window openings. Along the perimeter of the roofs of all three buildings there are balustrades with copies of antique marble statues.

Rome stands on seven hills, the smallest is the Capitol, located in the city center. The architectural works of art on it personify the greatness of the city and the Roman people. They have survived intact to this day. Many tend to walk along the famous square and feel the grandeur of the ancient buildings.

History of appearance

The creation of the current square began in 1536, when the arrival of Charles V was celebrated in Rome, the Capitoline Hill was not in the best condition, and Pope Paul III, dejected by this, decided to make an ensemble of grandiose architectural buildings out of it. Before that, after the fall of the empire, the hill was abandoned, it was even called “Goat's Hill” for some period of time, since the shepherds grazed goats on it.

The territory allotted for the future Capitoline Square in Rome looked better, it contained the decayed Palace of the Senators of the 10th century, the remains of the Tabularium and the Palazzo Conservatori of the 15th century.

The architectural project was entrusted to the famous Michelangelo. It was only by the beginning of the 17th century that the Capitol was fully built. The work progress was as follows:

• 1537-1539 drawing up a plan for the reconstruction of structures remaining on the hill.
• End of 1550 - partial implementation of the plan.
• The beginning of the 17th century - the completion of the construction of the Capitol designed by Michelangelo. It was executed by the talented architect Dacomo della Porta.

The peculiarity of the Capitoline Square lies in the peculiar optical perception of space, which the architect skillfully beat, it harmoniously merged into the features of the new city.

Modern Capitol Square

An interesting mystery is the execution of its cover, lined with mysterious "patterns of Michelangelo". White stones draw a slightly elongated circle, which symbolizes the globe, and the arcs made around it are quite possibly parallels and meridians.

In the center of the circle formed from white stones stands the statue of Marcus Aurelius, sitting on a horse with a raised hoof, which has been preserved in its original form since ancient times. But in fact, tourists are invited to look at a copy of the sculpture, since the original, after restoration in 1981, remained in the Palazzo Nuovo Museum.

The square is surrounded on three sides by palaces:

1. Senators, it now sits in the municipality of the city.
2. Conservatives (Keepers), which has become a museum, which houses many ancient artifacts and animal sculptures. Among them you can see the symbol of Rome - the she-wolf who nursed the babies Romulus and Remus, the founders of the city.
3. The new palace, it has an art gallery.

There are three staircases around the square:

• The central one is wide and flatter, created by Michelangelo, decorated with a border, and at the base it is guarded by ancient Egyptian marble lions.
• To the right of it there is an inconspicuous, but convenient narrow ladder.
• On the left is a staircase of 124 steps leading to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Aracele, which was opened in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving Rome from the plague.

How to get there?

It is located in the city center, you can walk to it by getting up at the metro station "Colosseo" - Colosseum. You can also take buses number 30, 81, 160, 85, 170, 810 to the stop called Ara Coeli-Piazza Venezia. Or take tram number 8, in which case you need to get to its final destination.

Time to visit Capitol Hill

It is always open for tourists, if during the day you can see the entire architecture to the smallest detail, then at night you can simply be delighted with the incredible and thoughtful illumination of all the buildings located on the square.

Museums and palaces are open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 to 19.30. The cost of visiting is 15 euros, guide services are paid separately. The Church of the Virgin Mary can be visited free of charge, but it is open only until 19.00.

Capitol (Capitol Hill) - one of seven hills on which arose Ancient Rome. On the Capitol was The Capitoline Temple, also called the Capitol, where meetings took place Senate and popular assemblies.

You can't go to Rome and not see the Capitol. On this, the smallest of the seven hills of the eternal city, evidence of antiquity has been preserved.

It was here that the ancient Romans built the most important of their temples - the goddesses Juno and Virtus and the king of all the gods Jupiter Optimus Maximus (this temple was almost as huge as the Parthenon in Athens) and called the Capitoline Hill the main symbol of Rome as the capital of the world.

Rome. Capitol Hill.

Today the Capitol is the center of Rome. And although there has long been no temple of Jupiter, no temple of Minerva, the flow of tourists does not dry out for a single day. Almost everything that a contemporary sees was created by the greatest artist and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti. Following his ingenious plan, the master created the Capitoline Square, rebuilt the facade of the Senators' Palace, designed the famous Cordonata staircase made of white marble, which all travelers who find themselves in Rome dream of climbing. We were no exception, and also climbed it.

Staircase Cordonata. Its greatness is emphasized by granite Egyptian lions at the foot and two large statues of the sons of Zeus at the top - Castor and Pollux.

In 1583, during the excavations of the theater of Pompey, sculptures of Egyptian lions and equestrian statues of the Dioscuri, the legendary twins of Castor and Pollux, born to the beautiful Leda from Zeus, who took the form of a swan, were found and placed on the stairs. The twins were considered the patrons of horses, and are always depicted with them.

In the center of the Capitoline Hill rises a bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

This statue, created in 176 by an unknown sculptor, survived during the destruction of pagan idols due to the fact that it was mistaken for the image of Constantine. It is not known where the statue stood in ancient times, but in 1538 it was transferred to the Capitol by order of Pope Paul III.

Since 2005, the statue has been replaced by a copy, the original is kept in the Capitoline Museum.

One of the quotes from Marcus Aurelius:

"This is the way to perfection - to live each new day as if it were the last, without falling into a fever or hibernation and without trying to play a role."

The decoration of the Capitoline Square are three palaces. One is the palace of the Senators, built in the 16th century on the site of an older building. Until 1870, the Senate met in this palace. Next to it is a copy of the she-wolf statue that nursed Romulus and Remus.

Palace of the Senators- here, until the end of the 19th century, the “fathers of the city”, who were replaced by city officials, sat. Today, the palace houses the city hall of Rome. Beautiful architecture is not the only advantage of the building. Next to it on a column is a sculpture of a “nurse-wolf”, or rather its copy (the original is next to it in the museum), installed 400 years before the birth of Christ.

And in the Palazzo Senatori, as before, the mayor's office and the municipality of the city sit.

Two staircases, decorated with sculptures, rise from the sides to the main entrance to the Palazzo Senators. The two statues on the sides represent the Tiber and Nile rivers. In a niche under the stairs there is a statue of "Joying Rome" with a ball in his hand (a symbol of the dominance of Rome).

Allegory of the Tiber at the Palace of the Senators

The square acquired its final form, which has survived to our time, only in 1654.

According to legend, the statue of the Capitoline Wolf was cast back in the 5th century BC, but after restoration in 2010, experts came to the conclusion that it could not have been made at that time, but only in the Middle Ages. Take note of this clarification.

S.P.Q.R. - abbreviation of a Latin phrase « S enatus P opulus q ue R omanus» ("The Senate and Citizens of Rome"), which was depicted on the standards of the Roman legions, and which was used in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.

Bas-reliefs on the wall of the Capitoline Senate with the invariable inscription "The Senate and the People of Rome"

To the side of the Capitol Stairs is a statue of Cola di Rienza, which was placed here in the 19th century. at the place where he was killed.

Cola di Rienzo led an uprising in Rome in 1347 that led to the establishment of the Roman Republic.

April, 2016

"You can take the whole world for yourself, but leave Italy to me"

Giuseppe Verdi

More details about walks in Italy can be found in the book: " ITALIAN HOLIDAYS"

ITALIAN HOLIDAYS

This book can serve as a short guide to Italy in 7 days:

Three days in Rome(Venice Square. Piazza Navona. Trevi Fountain. Piazza di Spagna. Capitoline Hill. Roman Forum. Colosseum and Arc de Triomphe. Mouth of Truth. Bridges and Tiber Embankment. Pantheon and Rotunda Square. Roman Castles (Castelli Romani). Appian Way. Grottaferrata, Crypt Ferrata, Frascati, Castel Gandolfo, Tusculum, the streets of Rome.

Two days in Florence: Church of Santa Maria Novella. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Baptistery of San Giovanni. Republic Square. Signoria Square. Ponte Vecchio. Uffizi Gallery. Basilica of San Lorenzo. Santa Croce ("Holy Cross") Piazzale Michelangelo. Palazzo Pitti.

One day in Venice: Murano. Mark's Square and Cathedral. City Tour.

I also included non-tourist routes in the book, which are very interesting and little known to a wide range of travelers. I hope that the book will arouse interest among those who have already visited these places, and they will be pleased to once again mentally go through familiar places, remember and compare this virtual trip with their own impressions of this amazing and beautiful Italy.

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