ARICCIA

A Tribute to the Town of The GRAND TOUR

Early 19 Century by Antonio DAL MUTO

Antonio Dal Muto, painter and cartoonist and author of comic book Stories of the cities. Born in Rome he lived in Ariccia up to the age of 22 years afterwards he left Ariccia for job reasons to go to Cesena, a town of northern Italy. About Ariccia he has drawn the images related to the Histoty by comics of Ancient Aricia whose lyrics were thougt by two Ariccians A. Silvestri and MC Vincenti, scientists and archaeologists. The author, with this work, wished to pay tribute to his city and help keep "afloat" the historical memory of the city itself that in an age of globalization is increasingly subjected to the pressure of forgetfulness.

Translation into English is due to the Author himself, as the most of drawings here shown: he apologizes for the mistakes

This work was dedicated to my father Luigi, Ariccian.

A.D. 2011

If Rome has always attracted travelers from all over the world for its ancient monuments, testimonies of every historical era, the area around the eternal city attracted the interest of men of culture, artists engaged in the capture of what was missing in Rome itself, namely, the atmosphere of the lost Arcadian Holiness. In Rome, the ruins on which to meditate the glories of the past and their fragility, on the territory of the Roman Castles (Castelli Romani), the sense of that lost ancient sacredness and still they had strong impression it prowled among woods and lakes, dwellings of the gods and nymphs. Among these places Ariccia: ancient village that from the top of the Hill, which still hosts it, for centuries lived in a magnificent isolation, surrounded by ancient Woods and springs, formerly the subject of Latin writers s interest . In this village, on the Piazza di Corte, was Martorelli s Inn, one of the few, according to Massimo d'Azeglio, in the early years of the 800, worthy of being so named for its ability to host and service that were offered; here, artists of Europe looking for those mythical places, connected with Roman history, were hosted, and Ariccia, among other villages, gave the feeling that the time of classical antiquity had never spent, passed away.

Ariccia, in the XXIst Century

Ariccia in the Early XIXth Century

These places of great attraction for suggestive corners offered by a still unspoilt nature, recall the best minds in the field of the arts and culture present in those times in Italy and in Europe. "Coming spring to go for drawing the nature according to the usual, I chose for my stay at the Riccia, first stop of Horace and his duct Heliodorus, during their walking travel to Brindisi ..." So he wrote the artist and political, from Turin, Massimo d'Azeglio stresses the memory of Ariccia in the nineteenth century also known as The Riccia relating them to the ancient roman world: Horace, in fact, took rest for the night in the small and modest Inn , as Titus Livy remembers, located in the Valley of Ariccia, along the Via Appia. And this village had the privilege, with Marino, Albano, Tusculum, Castelgandolfo and Nemi, to be one of the stops of the Grand Tour and, thanks to it exported, in his name and in his artistic and literary descriptions, throughout Europe. But who were illustrious men who made stop in Ariccia, in the Martorelli s Inn? Well, let's start with Nino Costa, Italian painter of the Etruscan School of painting and pre-Raphaelite; Pinelli, Roman, was an engraver, painter and ceramist; Joseph WilliamTurner, English painter; Friedrich Schulchess Meyer, German painter; Peter Von Cornelius, German painter; Friedrich Johann Overbeck, Swiss painter and engraver; the brothers Ockembach, German painters and the russian painter S.F. Scedrin then, Hans Christian Andersen, Enrich Ibsen, Barnabas Martorelli, eminent mathematician who died in the Inn; Harry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet and Stendhal and many others

The Palace which housed the Martorelli s Inn is that one inside the red frame

Well, how could appear Ariccia to the Italian and foreign guests at the beginning of a century marked by romantic movement? To make us an idea I made some drawings inspired by nineteenth-century drawings and photos of Count Primoli, avid photographer, illustrious grandson of Bonaparte and which had in Ariccia, still existing, a beautiful building. Here's the image of Ariccia view from the end of the large road in Ariccia Valley

After having followed the route, they arrived at the so told devil s saddle : it s the top of the ancient Lanuvio's Gate, the entrance-exit gate of the roman-time Aricia castrum. The gate is still intact under almost 4 meters of earth. The road ran along the profile of Roman graves. The House-Tower here visible was built on a drum-like roman tomb. On the backgrond the Santuary of Galloro

Here, we see a guy on his donkey animal present in large number and useful to move and to use as cargo at the foot of the ancient Sacred Way , which is still climbing to Ariccia, crossing it. It has been using for more than two thousand years: the Romans used to walk along it to reach Mons Albanus, in order to make sacrifices on the site of the Temple of Jupiter Latiaris and to celebrate the Latin Ferie, the yearly latin people League s anniversary. The large boulder, we see here, arrived there after being detached from the Hill: the small votive shrine was placed after by a shepherd to thank God for having avoided, for a narrow escape, to get crushed

The Sacred Way, currently known as Coast Road, was almost passable with great difficulty due to its conditions. Halfway up, when Ariccia had part of its ancient settlement in its Valley till VI-VII century, there was a theater and we suppose to be there even though buried by debris. Here, two Ariccians that bring their wares in the village. Along this road down the painters to find inspiration

Here are two ariccians who arrived at Roman Gate, Porta Romana, one of the two entrances to the village. From this point you can still enjoy a beautiful panorama from where you can see a stretch of the Tyrrhenian coast, also enriched of history. Just think of the Trojan hero Aeneas,

And here's Porta Romana or Roman Gate, standing by the building that housed the gatehouse and a few decades after the first Giuseppine Sisters, the socalled Large-headgears , managed pharmacy. By the berninian walls a Tub washing clothes: a gift made to ariccian women by Prince Chigi, the Lord and the master of the village. Who knows how many sketches, of these women, on paper have been drawn by artists? Now we look at

better at the Porta Romana or Roman Gate. The Gatehouse was still active and only after the unification of Italy it was withdrawn. Porta Romana, as that one near to the Palazzo Chigi, I mean Neapoletan Gate, are the architectural solutions of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the famous architect who designed and created the square in front of Saint Peter Church in Rome; he was called to Ariccia by one of the Princes Chigi to lead the accommodation of the square, authentic lounge of the Roman aristocracy, and the two doors. Bernini was assisted in undertaking by skilled architects-students like Fontana.

We've just entered Ariccia: we can see the tub used by the men to water their animals, like horses, donkeys, sheeps and goats, whose flocks could go freely through the village, but, without disturbing the walk along the main street and the square, Piazza di Corte. The woman we see here, on her head is carrying the so told "Conchetta" a so shaped copper container for water; it had a bottleneck to avoid that during the transport the poured water was minimized. The container was used by the ariccians until the early years 60 of the 900.

That s the little town or Village of Ariccia: the main street divides it in two parts and arrives in Piazza di Corte, the main square. Palazzo Chigi shows itself with all its body; Neapolitan Gate at its right side. The Martorellis Inn is faces the Square

Here is Aricia with the two bridges built shortly before the unification of Italy: two works that broke the old insulation and the harmonic unit of the Square, which became a place of passage. Porta Napoletana lost the use for which it was built ...

This is a stretch of the current Via del Parco or Park Street as it could appear in the 800. The houses of modest view at the ground floor, had cellars and stables for animals. The majority of peasants who had lands, just like vineyards or orchard, in Ariccia Valley or Vallericcia used to live in the village. The stables have remained in use until the early years 60 of the 900

Now let s give a look at other Ariccian landscape foreshortenings, inspired by the Grand tour painters works. Here we see Saint Nicola s Church built on the basement of the ancient roman Temple, next to Roman Gate

View of Ariccia coming from Albano, along the Old Appian way

Outside Neaplitan Gate or Porta Napoletana: the way to Galloro. In the background the Chigi s Estate

View of Ariccia from Albano side. The absence of the monumental Bridge, gives back of the country, an image far more suggestive.

View of Ariccia from Saint Rocco, on the way to Galloro. Neapolitan Gate or Porta Napoletana in the background between Chigi s Palace and the buildings which close and face the Square.

Outside Neapolitan Gate or Porta Napoletana. There were three streets: right the way to Galloro; the way to the cemetery in the centre and left the road which skirted the Chigi s Park and overlaps the ancient Via Sacra (sacred way) ...

Piazza di Corte or Court square according to the Bernini's accommodation. Martorelli s Inn is located in the building adjacent to that one with the fountain on its the short side. Facing Palazzo Chigi, the Church of the Assumpted Mother of God, a jewel of architecture by Bernini ...

Other Views of ARICCIA

Views of Ariccia by the Works of the Grand Tour Painters

Filippo Juvarra

Joseph Lecointe

S. F. Scedrin

Auguste Knip

Camille Corot

Joseph lecointe

Joseph Lecointe

William Turner

Philippe Hackert

Van Wittel alias Vanvitelli. Italian architect of XVIIIth century

J. Seit

J. Seit

L. M. Praetorius

C. Natoire

J. Lecointe

Massimo D Azeglio

E. Fries Roman Gate

Nino Costa. Ariccian women who spread the maize on the Square

Nino Costa Portrait of an ariccian Young Girl

L. M. Praetorius. Dwelling Houses in Ariccia

Massimo D Azeglio

Massimo D Azeglio. Caricatural Drawings still present on a wall of the room in Martorelli s Inn

Bibliography Vedute dei Colli Albani e di RomaDall Album di Viaggio di Charles Josepf Lecointe ( 1824 1886) De Luca Editore d Arte Francesco Petrucci La Locanda Martorelli e il Grand Tour d Itali sui Colli Albani Comune di Ariccia 1996 Renato Lefevre Storia e Storie dell Antichissima Ariccia Comune di Ariccia 1996 A. Dal Muto, A.Silvestri, M.C. Vincenti Storia di ArciAntica a Fumetti Comune di Ariccia, Provincia di Roma, Archeoclub di Ariccia 2007

THE END