The Torre della Moletta is a medieval tower on the south side of what is left of the Circus Maximus in Rome. The tower was one of the properties of the Frangipane family. Francis of Assisi is said to have stayed there one day. Since 2017 the tower can be visited together with the excavations of the Circus Maximus.
A brief history of the Torre della Moletta in Rome
The Torre della Moletta stands rather desolate between the excavations of the Circus Maximus.
After the Circus Maximus fell into disrepair during the Middle Ages, the site was used for vineyards and vegetable gardens. At that time the district was in the hands of the Frangipane family who had large numbers of humble and dilapidated dwellings built there.
These houses were all demolished between 1932 and 1935. The only structure that remained standing was the tower at one end of the Circus Maximus, which was officially called Torris in Capite Circi, but usually simply Torre della Moletta.
In 1223 Francis of Assisi is said to have stayed in the tower. He was a guest of the widow of Graziano Frangipane, with whom he maintained a close friendship.
The name della Moletta is due to the proximity of a water mill. It was set in motion by the Fosso di San Giovanni, a tributary of the Aniene. In 1122 Pope Callixtus II redirected it to the Porta Metronia, the gardens of San Sisto Vecchio, between the Celio and Aventine hills (where now the Via delle Terme di Caracalla runs) and finally to the Circus Maximus. At the Cloaca Maxima it flowed into the Tiber.
The tower has a squarebase and is slightly wider at the top end. There are blind arches below the wider part, which is topped by battlements.
Now the tower is free-standing, but in the Middle Ages it was part of the Frangipani‘s line of defence near the Palatine. There are no other traces of of this defensive line of towers left.
Excavations
During the excavations around the Torre della Moletta, the tower was also restored. A staircase inside leads to the upper floor, where you can enjoy a magnificent view over the Circus Maximus.
Address, opening hours and entrance fee
Address: Viale Aventino. The tower stands on the south side of the Circus Maximus behind the fence that protects the excavations. The visit is included in the tour of the excavated part of Circus Maximus. Opening hours: From 9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. during summer time and from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. during winter time. Saturday and Sunday from 9.30 am to 2 pm. Admission: 5 Euro (4 Euro with discount). Metro: Circo Massimo (line B). Bus: 75, 81, 118, 160, 673, N2, N10 (stop: Circo Massimo).
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