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| John Keats' (1795-1821) and Joseph Severn's (1803-79) and his son's tombstones, with the Pyramid in back; the graves came close to being moved, and this route turned into a car and tram road, according to a new book on the history of the cemetery. |
The Non-Catholic Cemetery (as we now must call it; previously it had several names and most common being The Protestant Cemetery) is one of our favorite places in Rome, and hit
Its history also fascinates us - so many stories to tell from those gravestones. I confess to making an error by repeating a rumor that only Shelley's heart was buried there. I was quickly corrected by one of the Cemetery volunteers... but the error remains in the print edition of RST, to my embarrassment. Now I can't claim poor sources for any errors because there's a terrific new book out on the Cemetery: Nicholas Stanley-Price's The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome: Its History, Its People and Its Survival for 300 Years.
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| Keats' tombstone; now cleaned up; without his name, as he requested of his friend, Severn; only "Young English Poet" and the words he requested: "Here lies one whose name was writ in water." |
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| Gramsci's tombstone, the third most popular in the cemetery, per Stanley- Price |
Stanley-Price relates a late 19th century plan to cut a road for cars and a tram-line through the Cemetery and sever the ancient part - where Keats lies near to the Pyramid, from the merely "old" part (now called the New Cemetery) which was the orderly beginning of the main part of the cemetery. In the 1880s about 30 meters' length of the Aurelian Wall next to the Pyramid was destroyed to make way for the road, then left boarded up for decades, then in 1930 put back in place ("restored" or rather a simulacra of it put in place). Hence those lighter colored bricks, the opening for the cat pound, and the placement of numerous memorial plaques on this rather new section of the wall.
The book has nifty sidebars with lists such as "Artists buried in the 18th century with no grave known today" and "A selection of noted sculptors buried in the Cemetery," as well as some with interesting side stories: "Hendrik Anderson's sculpture Eternal Life" and "Cosmopolitanism of the cemetery burials."
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| Angel of the Resurrection by Franklin Simmons (1839-1913) for wife Ella and himself The cemetery has a plethora of notable sculptures, and many are described, with their history and artist information, in the new book. |
You'll also find out why Gramsci is buried there, even though Italians generally cannot be (it goes back to his in-laws - they were good for something). And Daisy Miller is buried there - at least in Henry James's novel.
History of the Non-Catholic Cemetery for Foreigners
in Testaccio, RomeAccording to the ecclesiastical laws of the Catholic Church, Protestants can be buried neither in Catholic churches nor in consecrated ground. Nevertheless, burial places for non-Catholics came into use
comparatively early in some much-visited Italian harbour cities, such as Livorno (from 1598) and Venice (from 1684). There are also non-Catholic cemeteries in Florence and Bagni di Lucca.
in Testaccio, RomeAccording to the ecclesiastical laws of the Catholic Church, Protestants can be buried neither in Catholic churches nor in consecrated ground. Nevertheless, burial places for non-Catholics came into use
comparatively early in some much-visited Italian harbour cities, such as Livorno (from 1598) and Venice (from 1684). There are also non-Catholic cemeteries in Florence and Bagni di Lucca.
The Cemetery for non-Catholics in Rome dates back to at least 1716 when records show that members of the Stuart Court in exile from England were allowed by Pope Clement XI to be buried in front of the Pyramid [LINK to Newsletter 21]. Other non-Catholics, many of them young people on the Grand Tour, were also allowed to be buried here. The land then and now is adjacent to two ancient monuments – the Pyramid of Caius Cestius dating to approximately 12 B.C. and the Aurelian city wall - that form an impressive backdrop for the Cemetery.
The earliest grave of which traces have been found is that of George Langton, an Oxford graduate, who died in 1738. His remains, covered by a lead shield, were found in 1929 during excavations. The first North American (eighteen year-old Ruth McEvers) was buried in 1803 and in the same year Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Humboldt, Prussian minister resident in Rome, buried his nine-year-old son Wilhelm. Between 1738 and 1822 more than sixty people were buried in that area.
The earliest grave of which traces have been found is that of George Langton, an Oxford graduate, who died in 1738. His remains, covered by a lead shield, were found in 1929 during excavations. The first North American (eighteen year-old Ruth McEvers) was buried in 1803 and in the same year Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Humboldt, Prussian minister resident in Rome, buried his nine-year-old son Wilhelm. Between 1738 and 1822 more than sixty people were buried in that area.
In 1821 the Pope forbade further burials in front of the Pyramid and granted instead an adjoining area of land which was surrounded with a wall (the “New Cemetery”). In 1824 the Holy See gave permission for a protective moat to be dug around the Old Cemetery.
The New Cemetery was twice enlarged during the 19th century. The second and last extension in 1894 gave it the dimensions and scale that it occupies today. A chapel was built in 1898.
The New Cemetery was twice enlarged during the 19th century. The second and last extension in 1894 gave it the dimensions and scale that it occupies today. A chapel was built in 1898.
In 1910 a formal agreement with the Mayor of Rome, Ernesto Nathan, defined the Cemetery as culturally important and thus to enjoy special protection. In 1918 it was declared a Zona Monumentale d’Interesse Nazionale.
For more detail, see the new history of the Cemetery
The Non-Catholic Cemetery is situated in Testaccio, a historic quarter of Rome that is full of other monuments of interest.
Four only of them are briefly described here: the Pyramid of Caius Cestius which dominates the Parte Antica of the Cemetery; a long stretch of the Aurelian Walls which were built to enclose Rome in the 3rd century AD; the Porta San Paolo as a gate in that wall; and finally the Monte Testaccio, a remarkable artificial hill resulting from the disposal of Roman amphorae.
Rome War Cemetery
lies alongside and within the Aurelian Walls of the ancient city of Rome. It is reached from the Piazza Venezia, the centre of Rome, by going down the Via dei Fori Imperiali, past the Coliseum, and along the Viale Aventino as far as the Porta San Paolo. Before reaching this gate and the monument Pyramid of Caius Cestius, take the road to the right along the wall of the Protestant Cemetery, in which the poets Keats and Shelley are buried. Across the road at the far end of that cemetery, you will see Rome War Cemetery. Coming by metro: take the exit Ostiense of metro line B and turn left at the exit following Aurelian Ancient Walls (viale del Campo Boario). Reach the roundabout and turn right passing under the arches of ancient walls. Atfer 100m you will see the cemetery on the left side. Alternatively, take the metro and get off at Piramide Metro Station, which is close to Rome War Cemetery, on Via Nicola Zabaglia 50, Monte Testaccio.
On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Progress through southern Italy was rapid despite stiff resistance, but the advance was checked for some months at the German winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line. Operations in January 1944 landed troops behind the German lines at Anzio, but a breakthrough was not achieved until 18 May when, after fierce fighting, Cassino finally fell to the Allies. Rome was taken on 3 June as the German withdrawal continued. The cemetery was started shortly afterwards and was used mainly for burials from the occupying garrison, but a few graves were brought in from the surrounding country, and some soldiers and airmen who died as prisoners of war in Rome are also buried there. Rome War Cemetery was designed by Louis de Soissons. It contains 426 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
The cemetery may be visited at any time. Please note that it is now necessary to keep the cemetery padlocked outside of the gardeners working hours due to frequent theft and vandalism. The Combination number for the padlock is 1221 and the padlock is located at the rear of the gate, behind the two handles. The gardeners working hours are as follows: Winter: Monday to Friday 8.00am to 12.00pm and 12.30to 3.00pm Summer: Monday to Friday 7.00am to 12.00pm and 12.30pm to 3.00pm Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by alternative entrance. For further information and enquiries please contact enquiries@cwgc.org
Cemetery address: Via Nicola Zabaglia 50 - 00153 Roma (RM) Lazio.
Pyramid of Caius CestiusThe Pyramid stands near the Porta San Paolo. It is a spectacular burial tomb of 29.50m on each side and 36.40m. high, entirely faced 
with slabs of marble. Its particular form is an expression the “Egyptian style” which spread to Rome following its conquest of Egypt in 30 BC.
with slabs of marble. Its particular form is an expression the “Egyptian style” which spread to Rome following its conquest of Egypt in 30 BC.
The name of Caius Cestius is recorded in the inscription placed on the east side of the monument: “Caius Cestius, son of Lucius, of the Poblilia tribe, praetor, tribune of the people, septemvir of the epuloni”. An inscription on the opposite side reveals that, in accordance with the bequest in his will, fewer than 300 days were devoted to its construction. But it was not possible to fulfil another request of the deceased: a law against luxury in burial monuments, approved in 18 BC, prevented the deposition in the tomb of the Pergamene tapestries that belonged to the deceased. With the profits from their sale there were then made two bronze statues of the dead man. Of the statues there survive (in the Capitoline Museums) only the inscribed bases on which are mentioned some of the legatees. Among these are eminent people in public life such as Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of the Emperor Augustus, whom we know to have died in 12 BC.
The construction of the Pyramid can therefore be dated between 18 and 12 BC. The Caius Cestius buried there is perhaps the praetor with the same name to whom is probably owed the construction of the Ponte Cestio, between the TiberIsland and Trastevere. He also may be the person of the same name active between 62 and 51 BC in Asia Minor; possession of the precious tapestries might in fact point in this direction.
Access to the burial chamber was from the west side of the Pyramid. Vivid witness accounts of its rich pictorial decoration are found in descriptions made at the time of its re-discovery during the restoration sponsored in 1656 by Pope Alexander VII. A high wainscot and delicate candelabra framed monochrome panels in which there were female figures either standing or seated; in the angles of the ceiling, winged Victories with crowns perhaps alluded to the apotheosis of Caius Cestius. This is one of the first examples in Rome of the third style of painting.
In the third century AD the burial tomb was incorporated in the Aurelian Walls and became, like the neighbouring Porta Ostiense, an integral part of the defensive system of the city.
Septemvir of the epuloni: priest of the college responsible for organizing banquets for the gods
Tribune of the people: magistrate who oversaw the interests of the Roman people
Praetor: originally, a chief of the army, then from the 4th century BC a civil magistrate with responsibility for the administration of justice.
The Aurelian WallsConstructed by the Emperor Aurelian to defend Rome from the incursions of the barbarians, the Aurelian Walls extended for approximately 19 kms, encompassing the previous fortified town-wall, the so-called Servian Wall, of the IVth C BC.
Their construction was carried out in great haste, making use also of numerous pre-existing monuments, for example the built tomb known as the Pyramid of Cestius.
The Wall, built in brick, is provided with square-plan towers every 100 feet (29.60m) and with numerous entrance gates, often double-arched, flanked by semicircular towers; minor gates (posterulae) gave access in the stretches between towers.
The town walls underwent various restorations and renovations: in the time of the Emperor Maxentius (306-312), when work that was never completed was also started on a ditch; then under Honorius and Arcadius between 401 and 402 to confront the attacks of the Goths; and finally during the VIth century the work of Belisarius (505-565). Thus reinforced and restored the walls have resisted until 1870, as a bulwark for a last time in the conflict between the Pontifical troops and the Italian army.
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Porta San Paolo
The ancient Porta Ostienesis is one of the best-conserved gates in the circuit of the Aurelian Walls.
The ancient Porta Ostienesis is one of the best-conserved gates in the circuit of the Aurelian Walls.
Provided with a double-arched entrance flanked by towers of semicircular plan, it was reinforced in the time of the Emperor Maxentius (306-312) with two converging walls and a counter-gate of two arches. Under Honorius, between 401 and 402, the two principal entrance passages were reduced to one and the towers heightened.
From here the Via Ostiense led directly to the harbour of Rome. An older stretch of the road, still visible in the vicinity of the Pyramid of Cestius, emerged from a small gate (posterula) in the Aurelian Walls; it was closed perhaps at the time of the changes made by Maxentius
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Monte TestaccioBetween the Aurelian Walls and the Tiber, in the south of the city, there is Testaccio, Mons Testaceus (hill of potsherds), an artificial mound c. 30m high with a circumference of c. 1km. This was formed from the disposal of amphoras from the nearby port of Rome.
Another mountain to climb: Testaccio, from Roman detritus
Monte Testaccio, the "mountain" that is the unusual high point in the former slaughterhouse neighborhood of Testaccio, is an archaeological site dating back to the ancient Romans. The hill - 115 feet high is all - is worth climbing - if you can get yourself inside the gates. From the top (see one view, below), you can get a good feel for the layout of Rome's industrial and warehouse areas. You'll also find what's left of a World War II German gun emplacement.
We joined an excellent tour a while back. Obelisco (as in "obelisk") is a one-woman operation run by Laura Amadori, who is an extremely knowledgeable tour guide - unfortunately only in Italian. (One of our group members was a travel agent who wanted to learn more - and said Laura was the best in all of Rome.) Even if you don't speak Italian, if you have a chance to get into some unusual places with Laura, we recommend it. You can get some translations from your fellow group members, we think, and sometimes just seeing the site is worth it. (Laura, for example, got a small group of us into the former private gym of Mussolini - in the Foro Italico.) Check out the weekly Roma C'e' when you're in Rome, or email her atobelisco@mcclink.it.
There are a very few other tours that include Monte Testaccio itself - so be on the look-out for them. One used to be able just to walk up there - and we didn't do it when we could have. Now it's a well-fenced archaeological site - believe us, we tried to find a way in, and we're pretty resourceful.
The "mountain" is built from broken fragments ("cocci" - it's sometimes called "Monte dei cocci") of the vessels that were used by Romans to carry goods to and from the great Roman port on the nearby Tevere (Tiber River). The crockery vessels - called amphora - were u
sually two-handled. 
The beautiful (to us) 1927 fountain marking the district features all these amphora shapes (photo at left). You canz see the terracing of the shards even outside the gates (photo at right).
The hill dates to the 2nd century AD and perhaps earlier. Strolling through the Testaccio neighborhood, you'll come across remains of the vast storehouses of Testaccio (streets, piazzas, areas refer to "empori" - or the word we use, "emporium" - which mean storehouses). (Photo below, right, with lilac trees, shows remains of these many miles of storehouses.)
Try this for a good website in English, maintained by Roman and Barcelona universities.
The pix are much better from iconic Italian filmmaker Ettore Scola - so if you want to see Marcello Mastroanni, Monica Vitti and Giancarlo Giannini squaring off on Monte Testaccio in the 1970 film, "A Drama of Jealousy," try this clip off YouTube.
This working class neighborhood has had a lively club scene for many years, especially the clubs built into the base of Monte Testaccio (we've always been partial to Caffe' Latino - tho' it's music genres seem to change wildly each year). The entire neighborhood has been gentrifying over the past decade or so, with many good restaurants, several of which specialize in the Testaccio-born Roman delicacies of animal innards - a reflection of the neighborhood's 19th and 20th century growth as the slaughterhouse area. More on the ex-slaughterhouse (which now houses an excellent art gallery, an organic food shop, music school, and ethnic squatters, as well as extensive graffiti) in another post.
We joined an excellent tour a while back. Obelisco (as in "obelisk") is a one-woman operation run by Laura Amadori, who is an extremely knowledgeable tour guide - unfortunately only in Italian. (One of our group members was a travel agent who wanted to learn more - and said Laura was the best in all of Rome.) Even if you don't speak Italian, if you have a chance to get into some unusual places with Laura, we recommend it. You can get some translations from your fellow group members, we think, and sometimes just seeing the site is worth it. (Laura, for example, got a small group of us into the former private gym of Mussolini - in the Foro Italico.) Check out the weekly Roma C'e' when you're in Rome, or email her atobelisco@mcclink.it.
There are a very few other tours that include Monte Testaccio itself - so be on the look-out for them. One used to be able just to walk up there - and we didn't do it when we could have. Now it's a well-fenced archaeological site - believe us, we tried to find a way in, and we're pretty resourceful.
The "mountain" is built from broken fragments ("cocci" - it's sometimes called "Monte dei cocci") of the vessels that were used by Romans to carry goods to and from the great Roman port on the nearby Tevere (Tiber River). The crockery vessels - called amphora - were u
sually two-handled. 
The beautiful (to us) 1927 fountain marking the district features all these amphora shapes (photo at left). You canz see the terracing of the shards even outside the gates (photo at right).The hill dates to the 2nd century AD and perhaps earlier. Strolling through the Testaccio neighborhood, you'll come across remains of the vast storehouses of Testaccio (streets, piazzas, areas refer to "empori" - or the word we use, "emporium" - which mean storehouses). (Photo below, right, with lilac trees, shows remains of these many miles of storehouses.)
Try this for a good website in English, maintained by Roman and Barcelona universities.
The pix are much better from iconic Italian filmmaker Ettore Scola - so if you want to see Marcello Mastroanni, Monica Vitti and Giancarlo Giannini squaring off on Monte Testaccio in the 1970 film, "A Drama of Jealousy," try this clip off YouTube.This working class neighborhood has had a lively club scene for many years, especially the clubs built into the base of Monte Testaccio (we've always been partial to Caffe' Latino - tho' it's music genres seem to change wildly each year). The entire neighborhood has been gentrifying over the past decade or so, with many good restaurants, several of which specialize in the Testaccio-born Roman delicacies of animal innards - a reflection of the neighborhood's 19th and 20th century growth as the slaughterhouse area. More on the ex-slaughterhouse (which now houses an excellent art gallery, an organic food shop, music school, and ethnic squatters, as well as extensive graffiti) in another post.
Campo Testaccio: AS Roma's Historic Field
Today, it's entirely overgrown, a swath of land in the heart of the city, abandoned to nature and inhabited by the homeless. You can peer in from via Nicola Zabaglia, just a half block from the entrance to Monte Testaccio, at via Zabaglia and via Galvani, and just across the street from some of Testaccio's best-known bars and restaurants. You're just five minutes from the Pyramid. See the historical aerial views at the bottom of this post.
The site was--and still is--known to Romans as Campo Testaccio (Testaccio Field). For 11 years, from 1929, when it was constructed, until 1940, Campo Testaccio was the home field of the legendary Rome soccer club, AS Roma, founded in 1926. The stadium held 20,000 fans, and they reveled in the team's success in those years--103 wins, 32 ties, 26 losses.
Though the team won no championships while playing on that field, the stadium was immortalized in "Campo Testaccio," an anthem written by Toto Castellucci and sung by generations of Roma fans. Click on the 'play' buttons in this link for traditional and modern versions of the song:
http://www.campotestaccio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=55.
What happened to the field in the 60 years after the team moved to Stadio Nazionale is unclear, though at the turn of this century, when we first saw it, the campo still resembled a place where one could play soccer.
But in 2008 preparations began for an underground parking lot on the site, and in came the bulldozers.
Apparently the area proved inhospitable for that purpose, and a grass-roots movement, peopled by Roma fans, took root--a "save the stadium" effort. Surprisingly, just this year it met with some success; the city council removed the campo from the city's parking program and returned it to a sporting-use designation. Maybe it'll look different the next time we see it.
Once you've seen the forlorn remains of Campo Testaccio, direct your attention to the area just west of the field, still along via Zabaglia. Stop in front of what looks like another of the city's many Madonelle--street corner Madonnas. In this case, we're not looking at the classic Mary. The "madonna" being worshiped here is, appropriately, the Signora der Futtebball!
The site was--and still is--known to Romans as Campo Testaccio (Testaccio Field). For 11 years, from 1929, when it was constructed, until 1940, Campo Testaccio was the home field of the legendary Rome soccer club, AS Roma, founded in 1926. The stadium held 20,000 fans, and they reveled in the team's success in those years--103 wins, 32 ties, 26 losses.
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| Campo Testaccio, c. 1935 |
Though the team won no championships while playing on that field, the stadium was immortalized in "Campo Testaccio," an anthem written by Toto Castellucci and sung by generations of Roma fans. Click on the 'play' buttons in this link for traditional and modern versions of the song:http://www.campotestaccio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=55.
But in 2008 preparations began for an underground parking lot on the site, and in came the bulldozers.
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| Bulldozers on their way |
Once you've seen the forlorn remains of Campo Testaccio, direct your attention to the area just west of the field, still along via Zabaglia. Stop in front of what looks like another of the city's many Madonelle--street corner Madonnas. In this case, we're not looking at the classic Mary. The "madonna" being worshiped here is, appropriately, the Signora der Futtebball!
Nostra Signora der Futtebball
Campo Testaccio Incoronò (Crowned by Campo Testaccio)
or
Testaccio Crowned Mother Mary Queen of Roma Football
Left: field center, via Marmorata Post Office upper right, Protestant cemetery lower right, Monte Testaccio lower left. Right: 1932, from a different angle.