Leonine City

TheLeonine City(Latin:Civitas Leonina) is the part of the city ofRomewhich, during the Middle Ages, was enclosed with the Leonine Wall, built by order ofPope Leo IVin the 9th century.^[1]

This area was located on the opposite side of theTiberfrom theseven hills of Rome,and had not been enclosed within the ancient city'sAurelian Walls,built between 271 and 275. After Christianity had risen to prominence and theWestern Roman Empirehad collapsed, the area had to be defended through the construction of a new wall, since it housedSt. Peter's Basilica.

Nowadays, the territory of the former Leonine City is made up ofVatican City Stateand the RomanrioneofBorgo.

History

The Leonine Wall, which defines Leonine City, was constructed by Pope Leo IV following thesacking by Muslim raidersofOld St. Peter's Basilicain 846.^[2]Built from 848 to 852 as the only extension ever made to the walls of Rome, this three-kilometre wall completely encircled theVatican Hillfor the first time in its history.^[3]An abortive start had been made byLeo III,but disturbances in the city had suspended work, and the Romans dismantled the sections that had been begun and used them in private constructions.^[4]Pope Leo IV used his estate workers, inhabitants from the surrounding countryside,Saracenscaptured after thesea battle of Ostiain 849 and funding from an imperialFrankishdonation, to construct the wall, which ran in an enclosing U-shape from the riverbank atHadrian's Mausoleum,soon to be known as theCastel Sant'Angelo,up the slopes of the Vatican Hill encircling the basilica and descending again to the river. The walling was constructed oftuffand tiling, forty feet high, with 44 strong towers at bowshot intervals. The massive round corner tower that still crowns the Vatican hill has its origins in this construction campaign.^[5]

Three new gates gave access to the newly enclosed Borgo. Two were in the stretch of wall that led back from the Castel Sant'Angelo: a smallpostern gatebehind the fortified Mausoleum, called thePosterula S. Angeliand later, from its proximity to the Castello, thePorta Castelli,and a larger one, the principal gate through which emperors passed, near the church of St. Peregrino, called thePorta Peregrini,later thePorta S. Petri.^[5]A third gate opened the Leonine City to therioneofTrastevere.A festival celebrated the official completion of the walling, 27 June 852.^[6]

In addition,chain towerswere built along theTiberriver to repel Saracen assaults by water.^[7]

In 1083, after refusing to crownHenry IVas the nextHoly Roman Emperor,Pope Gregory VIIfound himself under siege within the Leonine City. After Henry took the city, Gregory fled to Castel Sant'Angelo. Gregory attributed the loss of the Leonine City to famine and negligence and not so much to "the courage of Henry's men".^[8]

Later, more extensivecircumvallationwas effected underPope Pius IV(reigned 1559–1565), when Leo's walling was broken in places. Three further gates had been opened in the walls.

In 1870, when the military forces of theKingdom of Italy captured Rome,overthrowing what was left of thePapal States,the Italian government intended to allow thePopeto keep the Leonine City as a small remnant Papal State. However,Pope Pius IXwould not agree to that arrangement, and thus there was a 59-year standoff, when the Popes considered themselves "prisoners in the Vatican",^[9]settled in 1929 by theLateran Treaty,^[10]which recognized the sovereignty and independence ofVatican City.

References

^Gregorovius 1903,p. 95.
^Hodges, Richard.Mohammed, Charlemagne & the Origins of Europe,p. 168. Cornell University Press, 1983.ISBN 0-8014-9262-9
^Wards-Perkins, Bryan.From Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages,p. 195. Oxford University Press, 1984.ISBN 0-19-821898-2
^Gregorovius 1903,p. 96.
^^a ^bGregorovius 1903,p. 97.
^Gregorovius 1903,p. 99.
^Wards-Perkins, Bryan.From Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages,p. 195. Oxford University Press, 1984.ISBN 0-19-821898-2
^Robinson, I.S.Henry IV of Germany 1056–1106,p. 224. Cambridge University Press, 2003.ISBN 0-521-54590-0
^De Mattei, Roberto.Pius IX,p. 76. Gracewing Publishing, 2004.ISBN 0-85244-605-5
^Pham, John-Peter,Heirs of the Fisherman,p. 250. Oxford University Press US, 2004.ISBN 0-19-517834-3

Bibliography

Gibson, Sheila andBryan Ward-Perkins."The Surviving Remains of the Leonine Wall".Papers of the British School at Rome,47 (1979): 30–57.
Gregorovius, Ferdinand(1903). "III" The Leonine City "".History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages.Vol. 3. Translated by Hamilton, Annie. London:G. Bell & Sons.
Hodges, Richard.Mohammed, Charlemagne & the Origins of Europe.Cornell University Press, 1983.ISBN 0-8014-9262-9
Wards-Perkins, Bryan.From Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages.Oxford University Press, 1984.ISBN 0-19-821898-2

41°54′11″N12°27′35″E/ 41.90306°N 12.45972°E/41.90306; 12.45972

[FOOTNOTEGregorovius190395-1] Gregorovius 1903,p. 95.

[2] Hodges, Richard.Mohammed, Charlemagne & the Origins of Europe,p. 168. Cornell University Press, 1983.ISBN 0-8014-9262-9

[3] Wards-Perkins, Bryan.From Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages,p. 195. Oxford University Press, 1984.ISBN 0-19-821898-2

[FOOTNOTEGregorovius190396-4] Gregorovius 1903,p. 96.

[FOOTNOTEGregorovius190397-5] Gregorovius 1903,p. 97.

[FOOTNOTEGregorovius190399-6] Gregorovius 1903,p. 99.

[7] Wards-Perkins, Bryan.From Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages,p. 195. Oxford University Press, 1984.ISBN 0-19-821898-2

[8] Robinson, I.S.Henry IV of Germany 1056–1106,p. 224. Cambridge University Press, 2003.ISBN 0-521-54590-0

[9] De Mattei, Roberto.Pius IX,p. 76. Gracewing Publishing, 2004.ISBN 0-85244-605-5

[10] Pham, John-Peter,Heirs of the Fisherman,p. 250. Oxford University Press US, 2004.ISBN 0-19-517834-3

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History

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References

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