Passetto del Biscione

The Passetto del Biscione is a covered passage, connecting via di Grotta Pinta with Piazza del Biscione, a few meters from Campo de' Fiori.

The name "Biscione" comes from the coat of arms with an eel that belonged to the Orsini family, which built its own palace over the remains of the Teatro di Pompeo, the first masonry theater in Rome. In ancient times, this passage connected the Teatro di Pompeo’s auditorium with the outside.

The Passetto once housed the aedicule of the Madonna della Misericordia from the sixteenth century by Scipione Pulzone, now in the church of San Carlo ai Catinari, near via Arenula. From this image derives the Roman saying "go and look for Mary for Rome", because the fresco of the Madonna was so hidden in the passage that finding it was very difficult.

Recently restored thanks to the Orsini Chapel Study Center, the Passetto has returned to its former glory and you can admire the frescoes with cherubs and festoons.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Beni Culturali official site