The Caelian Hill ( ; ; ) is one of the famous

seven hills of Rome The seven hills of Rome (, ) east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the city. Hills The seven hills are: * Aventine Hill (Latin: ''Collis Aventinus''; Italian: ''Aventino'') * Caelian Hill (''Coll ...

Geography

The Caelian Hill is a moderately long promontory about long, to wide, and tall in the park near the

Temple of Claudius The Temple of Claudius (Latin: ''Templum Divi Claudii''), also variously known as the ''Temple of the Divus Claudius'', the ''Temple of the Divine Claudius'', the ''Temple of the Deified Claudius'', or in an abbreviated form as the ''Claudium'', ...

. The hill overlooks a plateau from which the

Esquiline The Esquiline Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Its southernmost cusp is the ''Oppius'' ( Oppian Hill). Etymology The origin of the name ''Esquiline'' is still under much debate. One view is that the hill was named after the ...

Viminal The Viminal Hill ( ; ; ) is the smallest of the famous Seven Hills of Rome. A finger-shape cusp pointing toward central Rome between the Quirinal Hill to the northwest and the Esquiline Hill to the southeast, it is home to the Teatro dell'Ope ...

and

Quirinal The Quirinal Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian head of state, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has com ...

hills also arise. ''Caeliolus'' (also ''Caeliculus'' or ''Caelius Minor'') corresponds to a section of the hill, maybe the westernmost one, towards the valley that houses the

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; , ultimately from Ancient Greek word "kolossos" meaning a large statue or giant) is an Ellipse, elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphi ...

, or the one now occupied by the Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati.

History

Archaic age

Under the reign of

Tullus Hostilius Tullus Hostilius (; r. 672–640 BC) was the legendary third king of Rome. He succeeded Numa Pompilius and was succeeded by Ancus Marcius. Unlike his predecessor, Tullus was known as a warlike king who, according to the Roman historian Livy, b ...

, the entire population of

Alba Longa Alba Longa (occasionally written Albalonga in Italian sources) was an ancient Latins (Italic tribe), Latin city in Central Italy in the vicinity of Lake Albano in the Alban Hills. The ancient Romans believed it to be the founder and head of the ...

was forcibly resettled on the Caelian Hill. According to a tradition recounted by

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

, the hill received its name from the

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...

folk hero

Caelius Vibenna Caelius Vibenna ( Etruscan ''Caile Vipina'') was a noble Etruscan who lived (but see below) and was a brother of Aulus Vibenna ( Etruscan ''Avile Vipina''). Upon arriving at Rome, Vibenna aided Romulus in his wars against Titus Tatius. He and h ...

, because he either settled there or was honored posthumously by his friend

Servius Tullius Servius Tullius was the legendary sixth king of Rome, and the second of its Etruscan dynasty. He reigned from 578 to 535 BC. Roman and Greek sources describe his servile origins and later marriage to a daughter of Lucius Tarquinius Pri ...

. Other authors have linked the name to the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''caelum'', "

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

". Nevertheless, the former name of the hill probably was ''Querquetulanus mons'' due to the abundance of

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

s (Latin: ''Quercus''). Scholarship suggests that there existed the ethnic name ''Querquetulani'' as a designation of the previous inhabitants of Caelius, in pre-Etruscan times. ''Mons Caelius'' would have been included in the city perimeter under the reign of

Ancus Marcius Ancus Marcius () was the Roman mythology, legendary fourth king of Rome, who traditionally reigned 24 years. Upon the death of the previous king, Tullus Hostilius, the Roman Senate appointed an interrex, who in turn called a session of the Roman a ...

. The list of ''

Septimontium The Septimontium was a proto-Urban area, urban Roman festival, festival celebrated in ancient Rome by ''montani'', residents of the seven ''(sept-)'' communities associated with the hills or peaks of Rome ''(montes)'': Oppius, Palatine Hill, Palati ...

'' mentions it, and it was part of the 1st city quarter (''Suburana'') in the division made by Servius Tullius. In the later Augustan division, it became the

Regio II Caelimontium The Regio II Caelimontium is the second 14 regions of Augustan Rome, regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. It took its name from the Caelian Hill, which the region was centred on. History According to Livy, during the re ...

. A trace of the archaic period remains in the memory of cults of woods and sources, such as that of the

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

Egeria in the wood of

Camenae In Roman mythology, the Camenae (also ''Casmenae'', ''Camoenae'') were originally goddesses of childbirth, wells and fountains, and also prophetic deities. Mythology Some mythological figures associated with the Camenae include: *Carmenta, or Car ...

, just outside

Porta Capena The Porta Capena was a gate in the Servian Wall in Rome, Italy. The gate was located in the area of Piazza di Porta Capena, where the Caelian, Palatine and Aventine hills meet. Probably its exact position was between the entrance of Via di Va ...

Numa Pompilius Numa Pompilius (; 753–672 BC; reigned 715–672 BC) was the Roman mythology, legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus after a one-year interregnum. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome's most important religious and political ins ...

is said to have been particularly devoted to his sanctuary.

Republican age

In the Republican age (as well in

Imperial Rome The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Romans conquered most of this during the Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of effective sole rule in 27 BC ...

) the Caelian Hill was a fashionable residential district and the site of residences of the wealthy. A section of

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

's ''

Natural History Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

'', "Who Was the First to Encrust the Walls of Houses at Rome with Marble", attests to this.

Mamurra Mamurra () was a Roman military officer who served under Julius Caesar. Biography Early life Possibly named Marcus Vitruvius Mamurra (if we follow Thielscher's 1969 suggestion based on an inscription in Thibilis), he was an equestrian who orig ...

, a soldier who served under

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

and profited tremendously from corruption, achieved this expensive feat on the Caelian Hill;

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

and

Catullus Gaius Valerius Catullus (; ), known as Catullus (), was a Latin neoteric poet of the late Roman Republic. His surviving works remain widely read due to their popularity as teaching tools and because of their personal or sexual themes. Life ...

mocked him accordingly. Most of the hill was outside the boundaries of the

pomerium The ''pomerium'' or ''pomoerium'' was a religious boundary around the city of Rome and cities controlled by Rome. In legal terms, Rome existed only within its ''pomerium''; everything beyond it was simply territory ('' ager'') belonging to Rome ...

, therefore temples to foreign divinities were allowed to be built, such as the Temple of Minerva Capta or the old Sacellum of Diana, outside the

Servian Wall The Servian Wall (; ) is an ancient Roman defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was built of volcanic tuff and was up to in height in places, wide at its base, long, and is believed to hav ...

. Some sepulchres, such as the burial chamber in Via Celimontana, just before Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano, date back to this period.

Imperial age

Under

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

the Caelian Hill was one of the 14 divisions of the town, called ''Caelimontium''. The area between the

Lateran 250px, Basilica and Palace - side view Lateran and Laterano are names for an area of Rome, and the shared names of several buildings in Rome. The properties were once owned by the Lateranus family of the Roman Empire. The Laterani lost their p ...

and

Porta Maggiore The Porta Maggiore ("Larger Gate"), or Porta Prenestina, is one of the eastern gates in the ancient but well-preserved 3rd-century Aurelian Walls of Rome. Through the gate ran two ancient roads: the Via Praenestina and the Via Labicana. The Via Pr ...

was included in the v Regio (''Esquiliae''), though physically it is part of the hill. On the higher point of the side facing the Colosseum, the

was erected on a huge supporting platform. It was dedicated to the Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

and begun by his widow Agrippina after his death and deification in 54 AD; it was not ultimately finished until the reign of

Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

added a grand

nymphaeum A ''nymphaeum'' (Latin : ''nymphaea'') or ''nymphaion'' (), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs. These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habit ...

(tiered water fountain) to the eastern retaining wall of this platform, with semi-circular and rectangular niches. The water to supply this fountain was supplied by a special branch of the

Aqua Claudia Aqua Claudia ("the Claudius, Claudian water") was an ancient Roman aqueduct that, like the Aqua Anio Novus, was begun by Emperor Caligula (37–41 AD) in 38 AD and finished by Emperor Claudius (41–54 AD) in 52 AD. It was the eighth aqueduct to ...

, called the ''Arcus Neroniani'', which extended 2 kilometres west from the Claudia at

and terminated on the southern side of the Caelian Hill in a structure called the ''Aqueductium''. The ''Aqueductium'' distributed the water via conduits to reservoirs behind the nymphaeum and to the site of the temple. The remains found in the area of the hill allow one to reconstruct a conspicuous housing phase in the second half of the 2nd century AD, while former buildings of the 1st century BC were probably destroyed by a fire in AD 27.

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

alleges that

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...

was born on the Caelian Hill in AD 121. In the 4th century rich ''domus'', surrounded by vast parks, stood on the hill, such as the ones belonging to the Symmachi (near which rose the

Basilica hilariana The Basilica Hilariana was a sanctuary dedicated by the cult of Cybele on the Caelian Hill in Rome, Italy, in the name of a certain M. Poplicius Hilarus and identified by an inscription in . Its vestibule was discovered in 1889 during the construct ...

) and Tetrici families, as well as the ''domus Faustae'', perhaps belonging to the wife of

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

. The property of the

Annii The gens Annia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Livy mentions a Lucius Annius, praetor of the Roman colony of Setia, in 340 BC, and other Annii are mentioned at Rome during this period. Members of this gens held various positions of auth ...

, of

Domitia Lucilla Minor Calvisia Domitia Lucilla (also known as Domitia Lucilla Minor and Domitia Calvilla, ), was a noble Roman woman who lived in the 2nd century. She is best known as the mother of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Descent Lucilla was the daughter o ...

(the mother of Marcus Aurelius) and of the

Quintilii The gens Quinctilia, also written Quintilia, was a patrician family at ancient Rome, dating from the earliest period of Roman history, and continuing well into imperial times. Despite its great antiquity, the gens never attained much historical ...

became part of the Domus Vectiliana of

Commodus Commodus (; ; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father Marcus Aurelius and then ruling alone from 180. Commodus's sole reign is commonly thought to mark the end o ...

. In the interurban area of the hill several barracks were built for the troops stationed in the capital: in the site of the Basilica of Saint Stephen in the Round there were the ''

Castra Peregrina The Castra Peregrina ("camp of the strangers") was a castrum (a military barracks) in Rome situated on the Caelian Hill. It was occupied by various military units during the later part of the Roman Empire. Location and archaeology The barracks ...

'' (built under

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

and restored several times in the following centuries), close to a large house of the

Valerii The gens Valeria was a patrician family at ancient Rome, prominent from the very beginning of the Republic to the latest period of the Empire. Publius Valerius Poplicola was one of the consuls in 509 BC, the year that saw the overthrow of the ...

(''domus Valerii''). Opposite, stood the headquarters of the V

Cohort Cohort or cohortes may refer to: Cohort Sociological * Cohort (military unit), the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion * Cohort (educational group), a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum Scientific * Cohort ...

of the

Vigiles ''Vigiles'' or more properly the ''Vigiles Urbani'' ("watchmen of the Rome, City") or ''Cohortes Vigilum'' ("Cohort (military unit), cohorts of the watchmen") were the firefighters and police of ancient Rome. History The ''triumviri, triumviri ...

(''stazio cohortis V vigilum''). In a land possession of the Laterani family

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...

built between 193 and 197 the ''castra nova equitum singularium'', a new barrack for the knights corps of the imperial guard, opposite the former barrack built under Trajan (''castra priora equitum singularium''). When Constantine I dissolved the corps, the new basilica dedicated to the Messiah, which later became the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, partially occupied the area of the Severian camp. The decisive battle in the 271 revolt of mint workers, led by

Felicissimus Felicissimus (died 271?) was a public officer in Ancient Rome, during the reign of Emperor Aurelian. He is famous because he led an uprising of mint workers against the Emperor, but was defeated and killed, possibly in 274, but more probably in 27 ...

, took place on the Caelian Hill. It is possible that this uprising was somehow connected with the senatorial and equestrian classes, as Aurelian executed several senators. The buildings of the Caelian hill were badly damaged during the sack of Alaric in 410; starting from this period, the hill was subject to increasing abandonment and ruralization.

Middle Ages

In the 6th century it was part of the II Roman

ecclesiastical region An ecclesiastical region () is a formally organised geographical group of dioceses, ecclesiastical provinces or parishes, without a proper Ordinary as such, in Catholic or Protestant Churches. Catholic Church Apart from historical other uses, the ...

due to its proximity to the Lateran basilica, so much so that the toponym of "Laterano" was often used for the entire hill. The erection of the ''Patriarchium'', which probably dates back to the 6th Century, gave rise to the creation of various ''

tituli :''See also Titulus (Roman Catholic) for Roman churches called tituli, or titulus (disambiguation) for more meanings.'' ''Titulus'' (Latin "inscription" or "label", the plural ''tituli'' is also used in English) is a term used for the labels o ...

'' (the oldest places of Christian worship, often within private houses) and '' xenodochia'' (centers for the assistance and reception of pilgrims and sick). New churches continued to be built, initially to supersede the former ''tituli'', later independently, such as the Basilica of Saints John and Paul, the Basilica of the Four Crowned Martyrs, the Basilica of St. Mary in Domnica, the Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round, the church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina, the church of San Gregorio al Celio, the church of San Tommaso in Formis, the church of San Sisto Vecchio Monasteries, often surrounded by estates and gardens, were also founded on the hill, as well as some towers of noble families, mainly in the 10th and 11th centuries. A new destruction was suffered with the sack of 1084. From the 12th century, it was part of the ''Regio Montium'', which even extended to the

Quirinal Hill The Quirinal Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian head of state, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has c ...

Later history

Charles Lock Eastlake - The Celian Hill from the Palatine - 56

Today the Caelian Hill is included in the Rione of the same name and, continuing its vocation for assistance, hosts the Policlinico Militare del Celio, built on a project by Salvatore Bianchi and Filippo Laccetti.

George Santayana George Santayana (born Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) was a Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. Born in Spain, Santayana was raised and educated in the Un ...

lived in a room at the Convent of English Blue Sisters on the Caelian Hill from 1912 until his death.

Monuments

* Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati *

Clivus Scauri The Clivus Scauri was an ancient Roman road that originally branched off from the road that connected the Circus Maximus to the Colosseum along the depression between the Palatine and Caelian hills of Rome. It followed the east side of the latter ...

* Library of Pope Agapetus I *

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East ...

Sant'Andrea al Celio Sant'Andrea is the Italian name for St. Andrew, most commonly Andrew the Apostle. It may refer to: Communes in Italy * Castronuovo di Sant'Andrea, Basilicata * Cazzano Sant'Andrea, Lombardy *Mazzarrà Sant'Andrea, Sicily *Penna Sant'Andrea, Abru ...

* Church of San Gregorio al Celio * Basilica di Santa Maria in Domnica *

Arch of Dolabella The Arch of Dolabella and Silanus (Latin, ''Arcus Dolabellae et Silani'') or Arch of Dolabella is an ancient Roman arch. It was built by senatorial decree in 10 AD by the consuls P. Cornelius Dolabella and C. Junius Silanus. Arch The arch is l ...

Villa Celimontana The Villa Celimontana (previously known as Villa Mattei) is a villa on the Caelian Hill in Rome, best known for its gardens. Its grounds cover most of the valley between the Aventine Hill and the Caelian. Location The Villa Celimontana is situat ...

* Obelisk of villa Celimontana * Church of San Tommaso in Formis *

Porta Metronia Porta Metronia is a gate in the third-century Aurelian Walls of Rome, Italy. The gate is located in the southern section of the wall between Porta San Giovanni to the east and Porta Latina to the south. During the tenth century, beyond this gat ...

Porta Latina The Porta Latina (Latin - ''Latin Gate'') is a single-arched gate in the Aurelian Walls of ancient Rome. History It marked the Rome end of the Via Latina and gives its name to the church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina. Most of the present st ...

* Church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina * Oratory of San Giovanni in Oleo *

Tomb of the Scipios The Tomb of the Scipios (), also called the , was the common tomb of the Patrician (ancient Rome), patrician Cornelii Scipiones, Scipio family during the Roman Republic for interments between the early 3rd century BC and the early 1st century AD. ...

Basilica of San Sisto Vecchio The Basilica of San Sisto Vecchio (in Via Appia) is a Catholic minor basilica and Dominican conventual church in Rome, Italy. It has been a titular church since 600 AD. Its Cardinal priest is currently Antoine Kambanda. Basilica The basilic ...

* Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo al Monte Celio

References

Bibliography

* Filippo Coarelli, ''Guida archeologica di Roma'', Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Verona 1984. * ''Caelius I Santa Maria in Domnica San Tommaso in Formis e il clivus Scauri'', edited by A. Englen, Erma di Bretschneider, Rome 2003 * Livy, Book One

External links

Samuel Ball Platner, ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome'':
Caelian Hill {{coord, 41, 53, 06, N, 12, 29, 48, E, region:IT-RO_type:mountain, display=title Seven hills of Rome Septimontium Alba Longa Rome R. XIX Celio