Religious Urbanization in Trastevere in the Seventeenth Century: The Role of the Discalced Carmelites Foundations

• In Event: Urban Evolution and Plurality of Sources: Roman Examples from the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

Abstract

At the end of XVIth century the Discalced Carmelites began to leave Spain where the Order had its mother house and established themselves in other countries within the Papal State. Eight settlements were founded in Rome along the XVII century, both by male and female branches of Discalced Carmelites. Three regular monasteries (S. Maria della Scala in 1597, S. Egidio in 1610, and Regina Coeli in 1643), next to a pilgrim house, were settled in Trastevere District, giving form to an exemplary "Carmelite citadel". These new religious polarities of the Counter Reformed Rome’s layout, connected to pilgrims roads and to ancient processional paths contributed to the development of the area between Trastevere and the Vatican Borgo, according to the politics of several pontificates in the first half of the XVIIth century, since Paolo V up to Innocenzo X, who promoted intensive programs of renewal of the road system, infrastructure, fortifications.

Author

• Saverio Sturm, Università degli Studi Roma Tre