Some curious place names in Rome

March 6th, 2009 posted by admin

That Rome has a wealth of history is more than obvious, not only because it is a city with three thousand years on his shoulders! But perhaps what escapes to tourists who visit it every day is “another story” of the capital, the humble, one that only an observant eye can see, one made of taverns, markets, traditions, in other words one contained in toponymy capitolina. Our trip to find a place names curiosity starts from a square in the heart of the city that houses a typical small market. Piazza delle Coppelle: a handkerchief of space occupied by a few crowded benches, skins under the feet, strong odors. The name of the square stems by the profession mainly exercised in the area: here were established the “cuppellari” manufacturers of “cuppelle” small barrels which were used for the transportation of wine.Via delle Coppelle
So, Rome grateful to the category named a church, Santa Maria in the Chapel, where “Chapel” recalls the ancient name of “cuppella”.Under another sign and very curious, the origin of the name of the street dell’Arco Ciambella. It seems that stems from a discovery made in the sixteenth century, which then became a sensation during the excavations of the Baths of Agrippa to the Pantheon, wanted by the Cardinal della Valle, was found a golden imperial crown surrounding the archway. The crown appeared similar to some donuts eaten in Rome. The landlord of an inn nearby, rode the wave of enthusiasm for the discovery and named the local “all’Arco della Ciambella.” Nowadays, the name is the only survivor: the house has disappeared and the remains of the baths were demolished.

Via dell’Arco della Ciambella