Daily Rome Shot 107

2 Comments

1. Gab says:

   21 March 2021 at 6:58 AM

   I wish ThePapalCount would comment on this picture.
2. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf says:

   21 March 2021 at 8:56 AM

   ANNO IUBILEI MDCCL
   QUI DEVONO METTERE I VIGLIETTI
   TUTTI GLI OSTI, ALBERGATORI,
   LOCANDIERI ED ALTRI, PER DARE
   NOTIZIA DE FORESTIERI CHE SI
   INFERMANO NELLE LORO CASE
   ALLA VENERABILE CONFRAT[ERNITA] DELLA
   DIVINA PERSEVERANZA, CON
   AUTORITÀ APOSTOLICA ERETTA
   A TENORE DELL’ULTIMO EDITTO
   DELL’E[MINENTISSIMO] VICARIO EMANATO IL
   DÌ XVII DECEMBRE MDCCXLIX

   You find this built into the side wall of the little church San Salvatore alle Coppelle, consecrated in 1195 by Celestine III. “Coppelle” refers to the local barrel makers, back in the day. There was here a Confraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament of Divine Perseverance, which assisted pilgrims to Rome who were ill.

   This stone with its “postal” opening, was placed the year before the Jubilee of 1750. It was done in cooperation with the “health police”. Anyone who was hosting a person or pilgrim who was ill was bound to report the illness. People could drop a note about the location of sick people using this “post box”. Presumably the Confraternity would take steps to collect and to care for them. However, it is also said that this was a way for the police to surveil people whose names were turned in by their rat-fink neighbors. Thus it is nicknamed “la buca dello spione… the letterbox of the spy”.

   Across the street is a great little restaurant which I recall has some of the best gricia in town. Also, in the nearby charming square there is an open market on certain mornings. Restaurants use the piazza later. It’s nice, because you are away from traffic.

   There’s another inscription stone nearby which has the first datable – 1195 – text in Italian rather than in Latin.

   

   As I mentioned, barrels were sold here, rather, large kegs of water, Acqua Acetosa. There are various “waters” (e.g., Acqua Marcia, Acqua Vergine, Acqua Claudia, ) that flow into Rome and are delivered to sundry fountains around town. They have different flavors and the Romans thought they had different salubrious qualities. Acqua Acetosa was one of these. Way out in the Parioli zone of Rome, Paul V (Borghese) set up a big fountain for this water with a Latin inscription about how good it is for your innards (kidneys, stomach, spleen, liver) and various Popes modified it thereafter till Alexander VII (Chigi) got hold of it and spiffed it up into a considerable monument. The water in Rome is wonderful, very hard, and free flowing from little fountains, nicknamed “nasoni” around town. Don’t ever worry about drinking from them.

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