The Ossario on the Janiculum Hill in Rome, June 2012

The Mausoleum Ossuary Garibaldi is located on the Janiculum in the locality called Colle del Pino, where between April 30 and the first days of July 1849, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, took place the last strong defense of the Roman Republic, which was proclaimed on February 9 of that year. Designed by architect John Jacobucci (1895-1970) and solemnly inaugurated on November 3, 1941, after two years of construction, the mausoleum contains the remains of those who died in the battles for Roma Capitale in 1849-1870.

The need to remember the fallen dignity of Rome was placed firmly after the fall of Porta Pia. In 1878-79 the same Menotti Garibaldi and his son were among the promoters of the law that recognized the Janiculum as the place where to collect the remains of the patriots. The first burial was then carried out on the basis of detailed assessments to identify the bodies, some of which were buried in the Campo Verano, while those of 1870 were still buried on the sites of battles at the walls. The idea of building a mausoleum was revived in the thirties of the 20th century by his son Menotti, Ezio Garibaldi, (then president of the Association of Veterans Patrie Battles and grandson of Garibaldi), and a proposal to the government, which made the mausoleum the country's own and bear the costs. The design of the monument was commissioned by Jacobucci, while the construction was supervised by the Technical Office of the Governorate.

At the center of a fenced area, an austere travertine portico consisting of three arches on each side, and in an elevated position on a staircase, contains the core of the monument: an altar carved from a single block of Red Baveno granite, enriched by allegorical figures inspired by Roman antiquities, including the wolf, the imperial eagle, shield and gladius. These motifs are repeated throughout the decoration of the Mausoleum.

In the corners of the quadrangle, four travertine pedestals hold bronze braziers decorated with wolf heads, which are still lit during the official celebrations. The pedestals are reminiscent of the climactic battles for the liberation of Rome: 1849 Vascello, San Pancrazio, Palestrina, Velletri, Monti Parioli, Villa Spada, 1862 Aspromonte; 1867 Monterotondo, Mentone, Villa Glori, House Ajani, 1870 Porta Pia, San Pancrazio .

On the back of the portico, a double flight of stairs goes down into the Shrine, closed by a massive bronze portal. The atmospheric environment is divided into two zones: a small vestibule with side apses and a square room, which has a large central circular pillar adorned with palm trees and votive crosses in alabaster. The vaulted ceiling is lowered and covered with mosaic tiles in gold polychrome marble lining the floor and walls, on which are arranged niches closed from 36 plaques recall the names of more than 1,600 fallen heroes. In the niches are preserved only a few remnants (ca. 200), mostly anonymous, found during the various surveys. On the back wall there is the porphyry sarcophagus with the remains of Goffredo Mameli, the young Genoese poet, author of Italy, wounded to death right on the Janiculum in 1849 at age 22.

Among the fallen remembered are: Andrea Aguyar, better known as the faithful "Moro di Garibaldi" Ciceruacchio, the heroic populist, Angelo Brunetti shot with two children, Cà Tiepolo, Francis Davenport, Enrico Dandolo, Louis Manara, Emilio Morosini, James Venezian, Edward Negri and among the women are Giuditta Tavani Arquati and Dove Antonietti Porzi. Around the monument there are many inscriptions recalling facts, places, thoughts and texts related to the historical events and characters that are celebrated as the two stones of the crypt with the agendas of the City Hall and the Roman Triumvirate (Giuseppe Mazzini, Aurelio Saffi, Carlo Armellini) and the epigraph mosaic extrapolated from the writings of Mazzini.

Text from: www.sovraintendenzaroma.it/i_luoghi/roma_medioevale_e_mod...

Taken on: June 1, 2012

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