150 YEARS OF THE NAZARETH SISTERS

In the footsteps of Blessed Frances Siedliska in Rome (27)

Sr. M. Beata Rudzińska, CSFN

The Spanish Steps and beyond….

It is hard to imagine the Spanish Square today without the famous Steps, and this is how it was almost until the end of the 18th century. On an old postcard you can see the ordinary slope overgrown with trees in this place.
The idea of overcoming the steep difference in height between the Piazza and the Trinità dei Monti Church was first proposed as early as 1559. However, it was not until 1723-25 that a monumental Baroque staircase of 135 steps was built to the design of Francesco de Sanctis. They are the longest and widest steps in Europe, although some doubt it.
Look in vain for the name in Italian, French or Spanish: the Spanish Steps. The proper name is, translated accurately, the Steps of the Holy Trinity on the Mountain (in Italian La Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, or most often simply La Scalinata). They were built with funds from France, which owns the Trinità dei Monti church and the nearby Villa Medici, so it’s hard to imagine that the name “Spanish” was agreed upon. This one was probably started by the English living nearby.
This architecturally excellent work has a profound religious intent. The three levels of stairs symbolize the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. The number three is also repeated in other elements of the entire structure. The cascading nature of the structure and the fluidity of the lines give the impression of an outflow of all goodness from the Holy Trinity to humanity.
The Spanish Steps, especially decorated in the spring with pots of azaleas, are one of the landmarks of Rome. Publicized by the 1953 film “Roman Vacation” and most postcards issued, it is a must-see for visitors coming to the Eternal City.
At their feet we find a fountain called La Barcaccia (The Barge), the work of the aforementioned Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo. It is older than the Steps by a hundred years. One popular tradition holds that the fountain’s shape commemorates the great flood of 1598, which Bernini witnessed. The waters of the Tiber reached all the way to the Spanish Square bringing with them a barge.
In our walk in the footsteps of Frances Siedliska, we climb the Steps again to the Trinità dei Monti Church. Here begins Via Sistina, which we take to reach the place where the Foundress lived. The house stands on the corner of another street: Via dei Cappuccini, which leads to the Capuchin church, visible from afar. This is another place visited by Frances and the first Nazareth Sisters. But about that in the next episode…

Pictures:
Fontana della Barcaccia, 1650 (Before the construction of the Spanish Steps) – Public Domain.
Spanish Steps – current view – CSFN