Rome from the Ponte Molle

Rome appears in the background of this evening view, which is close to one of Wilson’s drawings for Lord Dartmouth, and a model of accurate observation. On the left, over the Tiber, is the Ponte Molle. Villa Mellini (now an observatory) is on top of the hill to the right with Villa Madama below; St. Peter’s is in the center, with Castel Sant’Angelo to its left. Wilson was positioned in what is now Piazzale di Ponte Milvio, at the junction of Via Flaminia and Via Cassia, the ancient roads that brought travelers into the city respectively from the northeast and north. The traveler with a staff in the center of the composition has clearly come down Via Cassia.