The Via Vittoria is a street in the high-end shopping district known as Tridente in Rome. It is a rather short and narrow street connecting the Via del Babuino and the Via del Corso.
A brief history of the Via Vittoria in Rome
Construction of the Via Vittoria was part of a bigger project in the 16th century, that was to lead to the creation of the Tridente. The Tridente is formed by the three roads leading away from the Piazza del Popolo, Via di Ripetta, Via del Corso and Via del Babuino. The work started in 1510, under Pope Leo X and was completed some 30 years later, under Paul III.
Since Via del Corso is the main shopping street in Rome, its side streets are also mostly characterized by fashion stores, mostly clothing, perfume and accessories.
What to see in the Via Vittoria
Accademia di Santa Cecilia (n. 6)
The street was also known as Via delle Orsoline, after the church and convent of the Santi Giuseppe e Orsola, which had been founded in the same period. In the late 19th century, religious orders were banned. The Orsoline had to abandon the convent, which became state property. In 1876, it was renovated and became the seat of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia.
The building has two entrances, one in the Via Vittoria (n. 6) and one in the Via dei Greci (n. 18). The first one is used by the Accademia, the second one by the Conservatorio Statale. The entrances are connected by a long hallway. The former cloister is flanked by what used to be the refectory and is now the seat of the Biblioteca Musicale Santa Cecilia. In 1894, a new hall for chamber concerts was constructed. Designed by Pompeo Coltellacci, this 400 m2 space used to be Rome’s biggest concert hall.
Eleonara Duse Theatre (n. 4)
The portal at n. 4 used to give access to the chapel of the convent. After its deconsecration, it was transformed into the Teatro Eleonarda Duse. At the moment, it is run by the Accademia di Arte Drammatica.
La cappella del convento, il cui portone d’ingresso era quello che ancor oggi si vede al civico 4 con timpano curvilineo, sovrastato da una finestra a forma di mezza luna, compreso entro una nicchia a forma di portale terminante con timpano a triangolo, è sconsacrata e da tempo trasformata in teatrino che, intitolato ad Eleonora Duse, è dato in uso all’Accademia di Arte Drammatica.
Plaque (n. 60)
The plaque above the door of n. 60 states that Giuseppe Garibaldi lived here in 1879 and was visited by King Umberto I. Garibaldi spent his time here working out plans for putting a stop to the frequent floodings of the river Tiber. Since he was a better freedom fighter than engineer, his designs were never used.
Portals
Like the rest of the Tridente, the Via Vittoria is a picturesque street. Several buildings are characterized by quite beautiful doorways and decorative elements.
Via Vittoria – Rome
Sources
- Via Vittoria page on the Roma Segreta website (Italian).
- Photos are my own.