Torre dei Conti: Protecting Papal Processions
The Torre dei Conti still guards the base of the steep Salita del Grillo road, as it has since its construction in the early thirteenth century when it was built by the Conti Pope Innocent III. Some claim that he used church funds to build the tower, which is why he later built the Santo Spirito Hospital as a way to atone for his actions. The tower was built at the same time as the Torre delle Milizie with similar techniques and as a result the towers looked similar. The Torre dei Conti was built in stages due to structural issues. It was remodeled and restored throughout its history, but due to earthquakes and defective supports it had partially collapsed by the 17th century. Because of this, the top parts of the tower were eventually demolished, leaving only the base that we can see today. On the base we can see black and white bands of decoration, made from basalt and limestone chips. In addition to showing the power and wealth of the family that could decorate their tower in this way, the black and white bands were also an indication that it was a Conti building, since such a design was commonly included on their buildings. Although the tower today stands alone, it was originally built as part of a typical baronial fortified complex. It also formed part of a larger fortification of the street Salita del Grillo that included two other towers, the Torre del Grillo and the Torre delle Milizie. The street formed part of the papal processional route from the Lateran to the Vatican, so these fortifications were meant to protect familial papal interests. The other major route between the Lateran and the Vatican passed through the Roman Forum that was controlled by the rival Frangipane family, so by fortifying the Salita del Grillo the Conti and the allied Annibaldi ensured a safe passage for their popes away from the interference of the Frangipane. As such, the tower not only declared the power and status of the Conti family, but also made claims about their right to a place among the Roman families who controlled the papacy.
Madison McBride (2016) and Elizabeth Budd (2019)
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