The Via del Fagutale is a street in the Monti district of Rome. It runs parallel to (but a lot higher than) Via degli Annibaldi and connects Piazza San Francesco di Paola with Via Nicola Salvi. Points of interest are the Torre degli Annibaldi and the Torre dei Borgia.
A brief history of the Via del Fagutale in Rome
The Via del Fagutale used to be nameless. Later, the street was called Via Barnaba Tortolini for a while, until another street in the Pinciano district was given this name.
It owes its name to a beech forest on what was used to be called the Mons Fagutalis (faggio is the Italian word for “beech”) and was one of the three hilltops that made up Monte Esquilino. (The other two were the Colle Oppio and the Colle Cispio.)
What to see in the Via del Fagutale
There are only two tourist attractions on the Via del Fagutale, not counting the view towards the Colosseum. Of the Torre degli Annibaldi not much remains, but which does have an interesting history. The Torre dei Borgia has been incorporated in the San Francesco di Paola Church and if you want to have a good view of it you need to walk around this church and climb the steps to the Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli.
Torre dei Borgia
The best spot to view the Torre dei Borgia is from the Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli. Originally a defensive tower, it was constructed in the 12th century. The corbels were added in the 15th century, however. The tower is currently used as belltower of the church of San Francesco di Paola.
Torre degli Annibaldi
The Torre degli Annibaldi was built in 1204 by Pietro Annibaldi. It was later incorporated into the Santa Maria in Monasterio, which was half church and half castle. The tower was the only part of the complex surviving an attack toward the middle of the 15th century. The best way to see the tower is from across the Via degli Annibaldi.