Janiculum Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Janiculum (Gianicolo in Italian) is a hill in western Rome.While the tallest hill in the contemporary city of Rome, the Janiculum does not figure among the proverbial seven hills of Rome, being west of the Tiber and outside the boundaries of the ancient city. Anciently, the Janiculum was a center for the cult of the god Janus; it was also known in Roman times as the Mons Vaticanus; the fact that it overlooked the city made it a good place for augurs to go and observe the auspices.
The Janiculum is a good place to get a view of the Roman skyline and its many domed churches. Other sights on the Janiculum include the church of San Pietro in Montorio, built upon the site formerly thought to be where St Peter was crucified; here, the Tempietto, a small shrine built by Donato Bramante marks the supposed site of Peter's death. The Janiculum also houses a baroque fountain built by Pope Paul V in the late seventeenth century.
In history, the Janiculum was the site of a battle in 1849 between the forces of Garibaldi and French forces fighting on behalf of the Pope, who sought to restore him to the throne of the Papal States. On account of this battle, several monuments to Garibaldi and to the fallen in the wars of Italian independence are on the Janiculum as well.
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