Piazza della Libertà

Piazza della Libertà

Piazza della Libertà (and surroundings). This square is situated at the end of Corso Mazzini. Though now one of the key facets of the city, this square was once the private area in front of the seventeenth-century Palazzo Ancaiani which is now the seat of the Centro Italiano di Studi sull'Alto Medioevo. Via Brignone begins on the left of the square and is the only street open to traffic going up to the Fortress. The street goes past piazza Fontana on the left with the Palazzo by the same name.

On the right there is Palazzo Mauri which once held the Municipal Library.

It is well worth the effort to walk down via Fiordespina Lauri next to this and on the right. This lane pleasantly leads to the picturesque vicolo delle Cantoncelle This lane winds down amidst lovely houses, arch-ways and mighty walls supporting magnificent hanging gardens down to viale Matteotti closeby.

In front of Palazzo Mauri in a small square in via Brignone stands the sixteenth-century Palazzo Scelli. From here it is possible to see the façade of the church of Sant'Ansano, the Arch of Drusus and Germanicus, the Roman Gate otherwise called Arch of Monterone. This Archway signposts the biginning of the popular area of borgo di Monterone and its street by the same name. Immediately on the left starts via delle Felici with a section of the old Roman city walls. At the end there are the remains of the convent and church of St. Simon and St. Jude and a flight of steps leading up to via Brignone and down to the left to the small sixth-century church of San Marco in pomeriis together with the ruins of the abbey by the same name.

By going down via Monterone and keeping to the left, after the fine Renaissance covered passageway one comes across the sixteenth-century Monastero di Sant'Angelo. By going further down still, on the same side there is the small church of St. Lucy (16th century) and, at the end, the tiny church of the Madonna del Pozzo (Our Lady of the Well). Amidst streets and lanes there is the noteworthy via delle Mura and via delle Mura Esterna which look onto to Monteluco and the adjacent Orti del Sole Old-Age Recreation Centre. The mediaeval suburb was closed in by Porta Monterone, otherwise called "Porta di San Pietro", due to the church closeby. This gate bears the arms of the city. Outside the gate and directly along via San Carlo, there stands the fifteenth-century church of San Rocco, otherwise called Santa Maria del Massaccio because of the ruins found there. In the parking area there is the former church of St. Sebastian and on the other side of the state road Flaminia, the church of St. Peter. From here it is possible to continue up the road to Monteluco and reach the small Mill Fortress and, directly after, the Tower Bridge and the walk previously mentioned by the same name.