Quirinal Hill
The Quirinal Hill (Latin: Collis Quirinalis, Italian: Colle Quirinale ) is one of the seven hills of classical Rome. Its maximum height is about 57 m. According to legend, was located on the Quirinal, a settlement of the Sabines, in the king Titus Tatius after the peace between the Romans and Sabines lived. The Sabines had here erected altars in honor of their god Quirinus, who gave the name of the hill. ( Designated as the Quirinal not as mons 'mountain', but as collis 'hill' ), together with the neighboring Viminal formed the Quirinal the tribe Collina; in the Augustan period, the two hills of the sixth region ( Alta Semita ).
On the Quirinal is an old residential area of the Roman upper class. The magnificent villas built here because the air on the hill was healthier than the then very muddy Tiber. From Roman times still date the monumental statues of the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux. Here you will find, for example, the Palazzo del Quirinale ( Quirinal Palace ) dating from the 16th century, the former summer residence of the Popes, the ( until 1946 ) the residence of the Kings of Italy was later and now serves as the official residence of the President. Therefore, the Quirinal name was also used as a synonym for the Italian government. The foreign ambassadors were at the " Quirinale ", also as a distinction to the Vatican.
The church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale was built here in the years 1658 to 1670 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Baroque style is rather peculiar, since the Church is a transverse asked Ovalbau, which means that the axis of the altar to the entrance is the shorter. The dome is oval. The interior is very elegant, the coloration in light dusky pink, light gray, white and gold.
On this hill, there are again four wells that represent the Tiber and Arno river gods and the goddesses Juno and Diana.
A very small church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane 's, which was built in 1634-1641 by Francesco Borromini without pay. This church has the size of its ground plan her place on the surface of a Vierungspfeilers St. Peter's Basilica. It belongs to the Order of Trinitarians, whose founders of St.. Charles Borromeo is. From the Romans it is affectionately called S. Carlino because of their small size. The national church of the Catholics of the United States of America is located on the Quirinal. It is the hl. Consecrated Susanna, which is also its namesake, and stands at the places of their martyrdom. The church belongs to the Cistercian convent. In the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria lies another famous work of art, the scene created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1646 the rapture of St.. Teresa of Ávila. The church itself was built after 1605 by Carlo Maderno. Especially the front left side chapel gives us a good insight into the time of the High Baroque.
The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Martyrs arose from the middle part of the Baths of Diocletian. Michelangelo began its construction in 1563, but a year later he died.