Via Margutta is a narrow street in the centre of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, near

Piazza del Popolo Piazza del Popolo is a large Town Square, urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian language, Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the Populus, poplars (''populus'' in Latin language, Latin, ''pioppo ...

, accessible from Via del Babuino in the ancient Campo Marzio neighborhood also known as ''"the foreigner's quarter"''. Mount Pincio is nearby. Via Margutta originally was home to modest craftsmen, workshops and stables, but now hosts many art galleries and fashionable restaurants. After the 1953 film '' Roman Holiday'' became popular, Via Margutta developed into an exclusive neighborhood, where such celebrities as film director

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

lived. From the north the area can be reached from

Via Cassia The Via Cassia () was an important Roman road striking out of the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii, traversed Etruria. The ''Via Cassia'' passed through Baccanae, Sutrium ...

or Flaminia, passing then through Piazzale Flaminio, and through the city door in the wall that leads to

. From this point one walks several metres to the left of Flaminio

Obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

towards Via del Babuino, and on the left there is an alley that leads to Via Margutta. From Piazza di Spagna, one can take via del Babuino, turn right on via Albert, and via Margutta will be on the left.

Etymology and history

The name probably originates from the word ''"Marisgutta"'', meaning ''"Sea Drop"'', a gentle

euphemism A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...

for a dirty stream that came down from the hill of the villa of the Pincii, used like a natural Roman

Cloaca A cloaca ( ), : cloacae ( or ), or vent, is the rear orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive (rectum), reproductive, and urinary tracts (if present) of many vertebrate animals. All amphibians, reptiles, birds, cartilagin ...

. Via Margutta was behind the palaces of Via del Babuino (Baboon road), where warehouses and stables were found. At the base of

Pincio The Pincian Hill ( ; ) is a hill in the northeast quadrant of the historical centre of Rome. The hill lies to the north of the Quirinal, overlooking the Campus Martius. It was outside the original boundaries of the ancient city of Rome, and wa ...

hill, there were homes and shops of masons, marble cutters, and coachmen, who conducted their business in the areas. In the Middle Ages an unknown artist opened the first workshop where the finest Roman craftsmen painted portraits, cut marble for fountains and forged metal plates, giving birth to a flourishing industry that attracted foreign artists (including Flemish and German), as well as Italians from other regions. These immigrants gradually replaced the shacks and stables with houses, workshops and gardens. During the reign of

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

(1846–1878), a Belgian monsignor, Saverio de Merode, seeing the potential of the area, purchased land, built drains, and incorporated the narrow street into the public city plan. Via Margutta today is a charming, quiet lane. Although it is fully in the city centre, it still maintains its garden atmosphere, perfumed by trees and vineyards, which has made it a perfect choice for artists, painters, sculptors, and antiquarians, even though many of former artists' studios have been converted into flats and apartments.

Yearly exposition of ''"Associazione Cento Pittori via Margutta"''

Mostra Associazione Cento Pittori via Margutta

Cento Pittori via Margutta, is a traditional festival of the arts that was born in 1953 in Rome. In 1970 the association that takes care of the historic exhibition was established. The expo is sponsored by the Mayor and the Province of Rome (Lazio), and for many years has been a burgeoning field for the discovery of new artists. Participated in the exhibition on the street, some painters known as Paolo Salvati, Gabriele Patriarca, Luigi Salvatori, Antonio Servillo, Generoso Pompa, and many others. Admission is free, the exposition is open to everybody, the viewing of the works is casual.

Famous residents

Among the historical inhabitants of the street were Giulietta Masina,

, Renato Guttuso, Marina Punturieri, and Amerigo Tot.

Fountain of the Arts

In the same area can be found the ''"Fontana delle Arti"'', which has a triangular base, crowned by a bucket of paint-brushes (symbolizing the presence of artists in the area dating from the 17th century). According to the project architect, Pietro Lombardi, who also designed other small "fontanelle" throughout Rome (usually inspired by the coats of arms of the ancient Roman quarter (rione), the marble fountain was carved in 1927. Two

masks A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...

are on opposite sides, mounted over marble supports. The images are of the now familiar sad and happy faces, symbolizing the fluctuating moods typical of artists. The two carved faces pour their weak water streams into two small bathtubs.

Popular culture

* '' Roman Holiday'', a 1953 film by

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Aca ...

starring

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...

and

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...

, portrays Peck's apartment as being on the street. * '' My First Forty Years'', 1987 film by Carlo Vanzina with Carol Alt and Elliott Gould. * ''Quelle Belle Ragazze di Via Margutta (the directors, painters and writers who made the Rome of the 1950s the center of the World)'', 2004 book by Giampiero Mughini * Via Margutta is mentioned in the song "Arrivederci Roma".Arrivederci Roma, by Mario Lanza, Renato Rascel.
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Bibliography

* ''Via Margutta Storia della Strada degli Artisti e dei Cento Pittori'', in Luigi Salvatori, Andrea Salvati, Antonio Servillo, Roberta Imperatori, Eventi d'Arte Cento Pittori via Margutta, Roma, 2021. .

References

{{reflist

External links

"Artist's fountain" in Via Margutta
Streets in Rome Margutta Arts in Rome