Roman mistery tour step #6 The mysteries of Castle Sant Angelo

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano.

It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.

Ok..this what everybody know but ... let's talk about its misteries.

Castel Sant'Angelo - why this name? 

In 590 D.C. the Lombards besieged the city while the plague killed people, also Pope Pelagius.

Welcome Castel Sant Angelo

The new pope,  Gregory Magno, ordered a "septemplan litany", seven processions departed from the main church of the seven ecclesiastical regions in which the city was divided. 

The processions arrived in Santa Maria Maggiore, where Gregory exhorted the people to follow him up to St. Peter's together with the acheoropirita image of the Madonna, the Salus populi.

While the procession passed over the Elio bridge, the pope saw the archangel Michael sheathed his sword into the sheath on top of Hadrian's Mausoleum.

The pope recognized the sign , the pestilence was over for divine mercy.

Curiosity: On October 29, 1497, during a thunderstorm, a lightning struck the powder magazine under the chapel, destroying the first statue.

In the days of strong wind the wings spread out of the archangel Michael, sway gently to signify his invisible presence among the clouds of Rome.

Since that moment the Mole di Adriano would have been called Castel Sant'Angelo and the bridge, Ponte Sant'Angelo

The statue

The bridge  

Bernini embellished it with the Angels of the Passion, but the bridge has a history of death. 

During the Jubilee of 1450, a mad mule created panic and many people died during the escape.

In the following years you could find the heads of those condemned to death hanging as warning.

The bridge Ponte Sant Angelo

The terrace 

Next to the statue of the Bronze Angel there is a bell, it was played before every deadly execution.

Prisons

these structures have hosted characters that have marked Italian history. Among these we remember Giuseppe Balsamo, better known as Alessandro, Count of Cagliostro.

He was a sicilian adventurer, esoterist and alchemist , he come in and out of the prisons of all Europe.

In December 1789 he was arrested in Rome and taken to the prisons of Castel Sant'Angelo, where he awaited trial for several months. Cagliostro was accused of heresy, masonry and seditious activities

What a view from the terrace - Photo by Eventi Culturali Magazine

On 7 April 1790 the death sentence was issued, the jury also ordered the destruction of the manuscripts and Masonic instruments in the public square. 
Cagliostro publicly renounced his doctrine and obtained grace. The death penalty was transformed into a lifetime prison to be served in the bleak prisons of the inaccessible fortress of San Leo , then it was considered a maximum security prison of the Papal State.

During these months of imprisonment Cagliostro elaborated his theory on the Great alchemical work of obtaining the philosopher's stone.
Through the alchemical path, Cagliostro wanted to lead man to overcome his nature and to approach the divine.

The realization of this end constitutes the "Great Work", with which the "secret fire", a cosmic energy unknown to man in his ordinary state, makes possible the transformation of man and that of metals.

Roman mistery tour step #5 The Devil's chair

Now let's go in the Trieste district where we can admire the Devil's chair.

The monument ,you see in the middle of the square,  is a funeral monument (II century AD) It's dedicated to Elio Callistio, a emperor Hadrian's  libertus (liberatus) (the man freed from the state of slavery). 

This free man continues to live in the house of the patronage and he coul manage his economy.

Let's come back to the monument. This  structure , called "a temple" type, is lit on two floors and it has a lower semi-underground chamber - accessible by a staircase built under the podium - and an upper chamber. Particularly interesting, for a stylistic point of view, is the floor of the lower room, it's made entirely of white mosaic. "

Now you see only a part of the work. the collapse of one of its sections gave a new appearance to this sculpture, now reminds you of the figure of a giant chair, with armrests.

For different factors and reasons , romans call it the Devil's chair..  The homeless slept inside and they lit fires. Shadow games created a scary and sinister environment.

Devil's chair - Photo by Urban Life blog 

The Romans said that the opposites lived together in the same city. On the one hand the Pope and his papal throne in St. Peter. On the other side of the city Satan and his chair in Piazza Elio Callistio. The legend tells evil worshipers organazied orgies and banquets in this place.

In the Middle Ages (this is a Roman paradox)  it was considered a magical place. The chair had the power to guarantee and do wonders !!

Another legend: the alchemist Zum Thurm wrote on the word Kabala, and if you were reciting the formula "I want to change the story" you  life could change in a better way.

Over the centuries it was also used as a venue for funeral rites dedicated to the deceased loved ones or to ward off evil spirits.

The practicality to remove the Lemuria (malignant spirits) seems to date back to  Romulus. He wanted to ward off the vindictive spirit of his brother Remus, whom he killed.

If you go in the Christmas period you can see a crib inside the chair ... well and bad still next, come in the Roman historical traditions

San Francesco's way

If you have arrived in Rome during this period the heat will haunt you, it will make your walks complicated. You will  often have to stop often to drink or eat a nice ice cream.

If you are a lover of slow tourism  we have an idea for you.

What do you think if we suggest you to reach Assisi on foot or bike?

You will follow the Saint Francis's paths.  

Ok, we all know the Saint but a brief summary can help us...

Wikipedia source

Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi), born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182 – 3 October 1226),[2] was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, he was designated Patron saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment, and it became customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October. He is often remembered as the patron saint of animals in 1219 

Premise

The Franciscans are a mendicant order. These orders born between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries 

Their primitive rules imposed them the issuance of a vow of poverty and it implied the renunciation of all property not only for individuals, but also for convents, and that they derived sustenance only from the collection of alms (questua).

The preaching of the Gospel leads Francis and his friars from one city to another, from one village to another, but also on the mountains and in the woods, looking for places to retire in prayer and penance.

As well as in Umbria and surroundings, the Saint of Assisi undertakes three major journeys, headed in partibus infi delium:

1) Dalmatian;

2) He will arrive in Spain (probably also in Santiago de Compostela);

3) Middle East, in 1219

His wanderings follow, in any case, the main land and sea routes of communication of his time, and touch the main localities.

                           

We have suggested you the south route, from Rome. There are 4 very well organized routes and a beautiful and useful website, created by Umbria region ( http://www.viadifrancesco.it).

You can download maps, GPS coordinates, facebook and twitter.

Yu can also ask the travel document that accompany the pilgrims on the way

                                              

Website english version - link 

Roman mistery tour step #4 Redeemer's image- Acherotipa

Today's topic forces us to onea Greek lesson.

The word Acheropita literally means "not made by human hands". What?? Who did it then?

The story tells  Mary and the disciples asked a paint to the future Saint Luca , a Jesus's image, their master. Luca could not begin, legend says  the Angels finisged the work during the night.

Are you satisfied by the mystery? But that is not all!!!

The image was preserved in Jerusalem, and according to tradition, the Patriarch Germano was forced to flee, the pursuers were almost able to capture him and he decided to throw the picture into the sea, the painting does not fall on the bottom of the sea but it was transported by marine currents in Rome. It manages to climb the Tiber and arrives in the hands of St. Gregory II, he had dreamed it.

The Popes used the image as an instrument of persuasion. The believers were convinced that the painting prevented war and stopped famine.

You can admire the relic in the basement of San Giovanni in Laterano.

 Redeemers' image - Photo by Reliquiosamente Web Site

Via Francigena

Walk (or bike ) and enjoy the journey.

We  already talked about  St. Francis of Assisi's paths and today we will talk about another route for slow tourism, many people already know it. : the francigena way.

This trip can be spiritual and ( or)  cultural in wonderful environments.

Taste the time of the trip and everything entails, reappropriating our ability to walk to find contact with nature and ourselves, marvel yourself again with the color of a wild flower or a valley.

For those unfamiliar with this path, let's make a brief summary.

Francigena is a set of streets, these paths and streets connected the lands of the Franks (tha'ts why this name) to Rome.

Today we talk about Vie Francigene ( plural streets)  to better indicate the different cultural paths themodern pilgrims use for slow and eco-friendly tourism.

We talked about Vie Francigene , all the paths, roads, paths that led to Rome where a pilgrim could receive accommodation and food.

Today we have a series of routes reconstructed and enhanced for the modern pilgrimage and we have:

• Via Francigena di Sigerico, the Council of Europe recognized it as a cultural itinerary in 1994 and as a Great Cultural Itinerary 2004. The local authorities voluntary associations have created and currently manage different variations.

• Colle del Monginevro in Vercelli (Piedmont)

• Via del Volto Santo between Pontremoli and Lucca (Tuscany)

• Via degli Abati between Pavia and Pontremoli (Lombardia)

• Variante da Buonconvento for Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany)



What is the difference?

The promoted ministerial or official path has been evaluated and chosen by the public administrations and approved by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, which thus take responsibility for the actual viability of the Way.

The name of the street comes from Sigerico , he became Archbishop of Canterbury around 990 when, he went to Rome, he received the pallium from Pope John XV.
Sigerico leaves us his diary, the most ancient and precise travel diary on the via Francigena, he tells us with precision even 80 points of rest and refreshment.



The most famous cities that the Via Francigena crosses are:
England: Canterbury, Dover
France: Calais, Bruay-La-Bruissiere, Arras, Laon, Reims, Chalon-en-Champagne, Langres, Besançon, Pontarlier
Switzerland: Orbe, Lausanne, Montreux, Aigle, Saint Maurice, Martigny
Italy: Gran San Bernardo Pass, Aosta, Ivrea, Vercelli, Pavia, Piacenza, Fidenza, Cisa Pass, Sarzana, Massa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Siena, San Quirico d 'Orcia, Bolsena, Viterbo, Rome, Vatican City .

The entire pedestrian route is around 2200 kilometers. The Italian stretch is about 1020 km

If you want to organize the trip we suggest you to consult the official website of the via francigena .

You can organize your trip  :

1.  walking a path
2. cycling a path 
3. Accomodations and facilities
4. Pilgrim's credentials
5. Organized trip 
6. Download the official App
   
   

Lake of Bolsena - View from Francigena 

The beauty and the beast .... a real italian history

"There was once a very rich merchant, who had six children, three sons, and three daughters; being a man of sense, he spared no cost for their education ...... " This is the incipit of the book the Beauty and the Beast written by Beaumont but now we offer you a slightly "different "version.

Let's continue reading 

CHAPTER IV

..... "You are very ungrateful, (Pedro Gonzalez, the beast said to him, in a terrible voice) I have saved your life by receiving you into my house in Capodimonte and, in return, you steal my roses, which I value beyond any thing in the universe; but you shall die for it; I give you but a quarter of an hour to prepare yourself, to say your prayers."

Pedro Gonzalez? Spanish name? Capodimonte? Italy ? WTF !! I did not remember this version.

Pedro Gonzalez's painting

The merchant fell on his knees, and lifted up both his hands: "My Lord (said he,) I beseech you to forgive me, indeed I had no intention to offend in gathering a rose for one of my daughters, who desired me to bring her one." "

My name is not My Lord, (replied the monster,) but Pedro Gonzalez; I don't love compliments, not I; I like people should speak as they think; and so do not imagine I am to be moved by any of your flattering speeches; but you say you have got daughters; I will forgive you, on condition that one of them come willingly, and if Caterina de Medici likes, she marries me.

Caterina De Medici

Is the story becoming confusing and complicated? Who is Pedro Gonzalez?
Why is Caterina de Medici's opinion so important?
We continue telling you the story ... but with the real story inspired the writer.

Meanwhile,  inside the Farnese's Palace ( a.k.a. The Rock)  in Capodimonte, on the lake of Bolsena. 

As soon as Caterina de Medici was gone, Beauty met Pedro

"Beauty "the monster told her," tell me about you while you're having dinner. Do you like the building too? ".

"Are not you the master?" Answered Beauty, trembling.

"No," replied the Beast, "here there are no other masters than the noble Farnese's family, they are the owners of this splendid mansion, I am only a guest, in all sincerity I prefer to call myself a lucky slave. I'm impatient, you just have to tell me and I'll leave right away Tell me something: is not it true that I look very bad? "

"True, yes," Bella replied, "because I am not accustomed to saying one thing to another, but I believe you very much in my heart."

"You're right," said the monster, "but besides being ugly I have no point spirit, and I know very well to be a Beast or savage, now the fashion is to call me wild ... Wild ... because I suffer from hypertrichosis, the hairs cover my face.

Ariosto, I still curse him Ariosto considered the hairs synonymous of wild man The writer wrote about this in the Orlando Furioso, did you know?

"Yes i know" Beauty replied, "but please keep up with your story"
"Come on, eat, Beauty," Pedro said, "I will try, in every way, not to bore you in your new home: all you see here is your stuff, and I would be mortified if I  knew you are not happy. "

"My name is Pedro Gonzalez, I was born in Tenerife, Canary Islands, my beloved land! I am a representative of the Guanci ethnic group. The Spaniards arrived in the thirteenth century. They did not want to believe  we are the only survivors of an ancient disaster. Our elders tell us about an ancient catastrophe. You call them islands, but the land you see, those are the mountain tops. We came from a large island, it disappeared in the ocean "

Beauty dined with a good appetite. She was scarcely afraid of Pedro; but she was surprised when he said to her: "Beauty, do you know you are here because you will become my wife?".

"Yes, Pedro, Caterina de Medici told me and ordered it".

Pedro heard these words and he blushed. He looked her in the eye and continued his story.

"The Spaniards captured  and brought me to Europe in a cage, the trip was terrible. 

I was a king's wedding present.Unbelievable ! Me !A present! 

Henry II

The king of France Henry II. I arrived at his court when he was wedding Caterina de Medici. The French were crazy for me, all  Europe knew the existence of Pedro Gonzalez the Beast!! King Henry II decided to educate me. I am a cultured person, I studied, the best tutors have taught me etiquette and much more. I would have stayed in France if the Valois family had not fallen into disgrace. They gave me to Ranuccio Farnese, refined man and gentleman God always bless him "

Valois's Family

Beauty listened then she intervened and began to speak "Forgive my interruption. The queen becomes the protagonist of our history, in this precise moment. She wanted  find a wife for you, at any cost. She hopes to generate a dynasty of savages, they will obey the orders of the King of France, her beloved husband"

The girl appeared at the window, the lake of Bolsena was beautiful. The sun shone on the blue water. Capodimonte is a beautiful city. The Princes of Parma, the Farnese's family, are very powerful. The building is incredibly magnificent.

Beauty sadly began her story "Catherine has looked for a beautiful and robust woman, and here I am ... I'm happy to marry you. I learned to know you, I met a good and kind person. Your appearance does not scare me, now I know I've found a wonderful person. Yes. I agree to marry you. "

.... And they lived happily ever after, perhaps!

Farnese' s Palace in Capodimonte

Unfortunately, this story is not beautiful. At that time the courts of the nobles collected exotic animals, anyone envied the owner of a savage .

Several artists made paintings of Pedro and Beauty's family. The story of Beauty and the Beast begins to circulate in the mid-fifteenth century.

We like to think that Pedro and Beauty have lived happily, walking on the shores of the lake, holding each other's hand, raising their children in the middle of nature.

Capodimonte - View from the beach

We fear that history was not so happy. 

TOUR OF THE ROCK ( FARNESE'S PALACE)

Opening hours

SUMMER HOURS (from June to September)

Tuesday and Wednesday 10.00am - 1.00pm
from Thursday to Sunday 10.00am - 1.00pm / 4.30pm - 7.30pm
Monday closed

WINTER TIME (from October to May)

Tuesday to Thursday 9.00am - 1.00pm
Friday and Saturday 10.00am - 1.00pm / 2.00pm - 5.00pm
Sunday 10.00am - 1.00pm
Monday closed

Cost € 9

Roman mistery tour step #3 The magician Pope

We continue our mystery tour and we talk about a pope. A Pope?! Yes, the Magician Pope.

In 999 D.C. Gerbert d'Aurillac is elected as Pope Sylvester II. He was a Benedictine monk. He studied mathematics in Toledo and mathematics, astrology and astronomy, logic in Reims.

His election was accepted by the clergy and acclaimed by the people, but his adversaries put forth the rumor  he had made a pact with the demon to become pope, and they began to call him "the magician pope".

Pope Sylvester II

Why did he say that? The gossips said that he hadDe astrolabio, a book of magic, he stole it to an Arab from Cordoba, a master of witchcraft, and Gerberto was, in his youth, the daughter's lover

The book brought  rituals to get from the demons all that he wanted and also indications to build a Golem, clay creature animated by magic, Gerbert immediately hurried to make, thinking that it could help him.

The Pope's Golem was a rather rough work and could only speak with nods to say yes or no; Sylvester asked him if he would die before he song a mass in Jerusalem and the creature said no.

The Pope was reassured about his fate, of course he took good care not to go to the Holy Land, thinking in this way he would never die; but one day, while he was celebrating a mass, he learned that the church in which he was once was called the Holy Cross in Jerusalem.

Sure to be close to death, he summoned his cardinals and confessed the pact with the devil, making them promise that, at his death, they would follow a ritual to cheat Satan and not give his soul.

On 12 May 1003 Sylvester died; his body was put on a chariot pulled by two horses, one black and one white; the horses were driven to leave, but nobody guided them.

They arrived alone  in front of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano and stopped; the ritual worked and the horrible screams of the defeated demon were heard.

Sylvester's body was buried in the church; the legend says that when a Pope is about to die, his grave exudes a transparent liquid; and a legend say in 1864, when the bury was opened, the body was found in perfect state of preservation, but in contact with the air it dissolved in salt and ashes, proving that Silvestro, expert in magic and alchemy , he really succeeded in subverting the laws of nature.

Pope Sylvester II , his tomb in San Giovanni in Laterano - Photo by Wikiwand

'A chiena

Every august in Campagna, in the province of Salerno, a folkloric event, maybe unique in the world, takes place among the city streets:  the river Tenza overflows from its natural bed and it floods the center of the town, following an artificial deviation.

In 1889 the paving of public roads was fixed to prevent flooding in the buildings interested by the "chiena" (that means flood). Since then, the major issues a decree and he cautions the citizens, with the help of a town crier, to be careful if they don't want to get wet when the water arrives in town.

Photo by italia2tv.it

This is a very old tradition, originated maybe in 1600, when it was necessary to keep streets clean during summer drought, both to defeat the plague, and because of the presence of packhorses.

Photo by utopiacontemporaryart

Nowadays "a chiena" is no longer a sanitary measure, but it has become a spectacular kermesse, an occasion to have fun, consisting in three particular moments:

-the "secchiata" (bucket) : on sunday afternoons, beachweared, people in the street launchs each other refreshing water buckets, to have fun and fight hot weather

Photo by vesuviolive.it

Photo by Pompeo Ganelli, 1985

-the "passeggiata" (promenade) : on saturday afternoons and sunday mornings everybody walks barefoot down the streets, keeping  ankles into water

Photo by italia2tv.it

- the "chiena di mezzanotte" (midnight flood): in the night between the 16th and 17th august, you can walk through flooded street contemplating the starry sky. There is a very suggestive atmosphere, while you are entartained with folk dances and music.

Photo by informazionequotidiana.it

If you've read our previous posts, you may already know  that the province of Salerno has an ancient  culinary tradition; so, during the "chiena" days, a gastronomic event called "Portoni ghiottoni"  (gluttonous gates) is organised inside the most beautiful city courtyards, where you may taste traditional recipes as "  matass ''e fasul", a kind of handmade pasta with beans sauce, "ciambotta" , a vegetable soup, fried pizza with caciocavallo (a local cheese), local wine flavoured with peaches, and dulcis in fundo "spumone" , a kind of ice cream.

Photo by ecampania.it

We want to describe to you some of these  enchanting palaces that host "Portoni Ghiottoni" :
-the Augustinian monastery, that previously was a nobiliar  court, become in 1589 part of Church estate, nowadays it hosts the city hall;
-  Diocesan Seminary, a  solemn building arisen from the foundation of an ancient benedictine monastery;
-Maccarunera, a particular historical hotel derived   from a medieval mill, become a pasta factory in 19th century.

Campagna is an ancient city with a rich history; in 1532, the emperor Carlo V gave the feud of Campagna to the prince Onorato Grimaldi of Monaco, as a reward to his loyalty. Through the centuries, a link between the city and the princes of Monaco endured, and it culminated in the visit at Campagna by prince Albert, in 1997, to celebrate  the seventh centenary of the Grimaldi princedom, and more recently, in last may, to celebrate the fifth centenary of the status of "City" of Campagna.

Photo by asalerno.it

You can reach Campagna:

-driving your car: Salerno/Reggio Calabria highway, exit Campagna

-by train: Salerno station
                 Local buses

Did you know..... ? Roman curiosity #6

Do you want surprise your friend? We have a suggestion for you !!

Going to Saint Peter's BAsilica, walk via Niccolò Piccolomini ( Villa Pamphili park is behind you). 

You will notice that the closer you are,  more the Saint Peter moves away, while if you walk backwards the dome seems larger. It is not sorcery, but only perspective.