San Giovanni dei Fiorentini

Hildebrand, Henri Theophile (1824-1897?)
San Giovanni dei Fiorentini. Riva Trasteverina. Costa del Gianicolo. Ospizio dei Pazzi / Hildibrand. – [Milano: Fratelli Treves, 1879]. – 1 stampa; 79 x 160 mm. – Per l'A. cfr. Milesi, p. 194. – Firma del disegnatore in basso a sin., poco leggibile.
In: Roma: descrizione e ricordi: opera illustrata da 285 incisioni e 68 tavole staccate dal testo / di Francesco Wey. – Milano: Fratelli Treves, 1879.
BPR M 20
This book by Francis Wey contains an extensive description of Rome and its monuments, together with a large amount of information on the customs and habits of the Roman population (e.g. inns, obsession with tobacco, peasants) and historical notes. For the illustrations, the author has utilized the works of numerous draftsmen and engravers, some of whose names are mentioned in the preface.
The illustration on page 194 of the book is the ornamental decoration at the beginning of Chapter X, containing the description of various parts of Rome including S. Maria Sopra Minerva, S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini and Porta Maggiore.
The print shows the church of S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini with the suspension bridge that replaced the old ferry boats in 1863. On the right we see the villas on the Janiculum and the Lunatic Asylum with its high retaining walls built by Francesco Azzurri. In the upper middle we can see Villa Gabrielli with the pine tree-lined avenue, the remains of the Baroque garden.