History Janiculum

1 history

1.1 ancient history , mythology
1.2 water mills
1.3 19th century present

history
ancient history , mythology

the janiculum center cult of god janus: position overlooking city made place augurs observe auspices.

in roman mythology, janiculum name of ancient town founded god janus (the two-faced god of beginnings). in book viii of aeneid virgil (publius vergilius maro), king evander shows aeneas (the trojan hero of epic poem) ruins of saturnia , janiculum on capitoline hill near arcadian city of pallanteum (the future site of rome) (see line 54, bk. 8). virgil uses these ruins stress significance of capitoline hill religious center of rome.

according livy, janiculum incorporated ancient rome during time of king ancus marcius prevent enemy occupying it. fortified wall, , bridge built across tiber join rest of city.

during war between rome , clusium in 508 bc, said forces of lars porsena occupied janiculum , laid siege rome.

the water mills

the aurelian walls continued hill emperor aurelian (reigned ad 270–275) include water mills used grind grain provide bread flour city. mills supplied aqueduct, plunged down steep hill. site resembles barbegal, although excavations in late 1990s suggest may have been undershot rather overshot in design. mills in use in ad 537, when goths besieging city cut off water supply. later restored , may have remained in operation until @ least time of pope gregory iv (827–844).

19th century present

the janiculum site of battle in 1849 between forces of garibaldi, defending revolutionary roman republic against french forces, fighting restore temporal power of pope on rome. several monuments garibaldi , fallen in wars of italian independence on janiculum.

daily @ noon, cannon fires once janiculum in direction of tiber time signal. tradition goes december 1847, when cannon of castel sant angelo gave sign surrounding belltowers start ringing @ midday. in 1904, ritual transferred janiculum , continued until 1939. on 21 april 1959, popular appeal convinced commune of rome resume tradition after twenty-year interruption.

the hill featured in third section of ottorino respighi s famous orchestral piece pines of rome.