Capella Hospitales S.ma Trinitatis...

Black pencil drawing, 332x250 mm.

In the lower margin, a long-handwritten annotation: In questo luogo si separarno S. Pietro e S. Paolo andãdo al martirio e disse paolo a pietro la pace sia con teco fundamento della chiesa et pastore di tutte le agnelle di Christo// et pietro a paolo va in pace predicatore de buoni et guida de la salute de giusti. Dionisius in epistola ad Timoteum// capella Hospitalis S.ma Trinitates cõvalescentũ et peregrinorũ fũdata fuit año MDLXVIIII.

Belongs to a collection of 127 works unearthed from a French antiquarian who, in turn, had acquired them from the heirs of publisher Henri-Désiré Charpentier (La Rochelle 1805 - Vertou 1882); they are all done in black pencil, some have white lead highlighting; they never bear the date and signature of the author, but only a brief caption relating to the subjects depicted. The drawings denote a skilled and expert hand - especially in the delineation of buildings, ruins and architecture - that restores the monuments of Rome from interesting and unusual perspective points. The reference of most of the drawings to some of the tinted lithographs by Felix and Philippe Benoist, published in the three-volume work Rome dans sa grandeur, immediately became clear. The fact that this is a large group of original drawings related to the famous work edited by Henri-Désiré Charpentier is clearly supported by the prestigious provenance; it is a part of Charpentier's heir fund, among which the material of the famous chalcographic workshop had been divided.

Rome dans sa grandeur. Vues, monument ancient et modernes was printed in Paris in 3 volumes, in 1870. The publication, illustrated by 100 lithographs, was preceded by a campaign of preparatory drawings, dating from 1864 until 1869, executed mainly by Félix Benoist and partly by Philippe Benoist. On the eve of the Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano I, on August 11, 1869, Pius IX decreed the creation of a Roman Exhibition of the works of every art executed for Catholic worship, which was inaugurated, on February 17, 1870, in the cloister of the Carthusian monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli. On that occasion, the three folio volumes Rome dans sa grandeur were presented. The lavishly bound volumes, with the coat of arms of Pius IX stamped in the center in gold, are divided into three sections. The first volume deals with ancient Rome, the second, with Christian Rome, and the third, with the monuments and achievements of modern Rome. A valuable view of papal Rome on the eve of Rome's profound transformation into the capital of united Italy. A document that highlights the remarkable imprint left by Pius IX on the Eternal City. The work represents the French artist's masterpiece, so much so that it places Benoist among the ranks of the greatest artists of interiors and views of his time.

The sheets used for the preliminary studies vary in size (from 170 mm x 240 to 490 x 300 mm), weight and even color gradation (from beige to green).  Many of the drawings undeniably represent different preparatory stages - more or less complete - of some of the dyed lithographs illustrating the magnificent work, others of the silographic vignettes included in the text, while other sketches do not find translation in print. Belonging to this second group are both sketches relating to monuments and views of Rome and its surroundings: ancient Ostia, Grottaferrata, Olevano Romano, Anzio, Nettuno, Velletri and Vicovaro. Far beyond from Rome are drawings relating to Naples and Loreto. The suite was to form part of the entire fund, later dispersed, of preparatory studies from which the hundred intended for lithographic printing were selected.

The drawing, not translated into one of the lithographic plates in Rome dans sa Grandeur, shows the stretch of the Via Ostiense where St. Peter and St. Paul exchanged their last embrace before going to martyrdom. The handwritten annotation at the bottom of the drawing shows the words engraved on the ancient aedicule known as the “Aedicule of Separation,” in memory of the last, brotherly farewell embrace. Later the wayside shrine was transformed into a chapel called “Ecclesiam Apostolorum.” It was located halfway along the stretch of road between the Pyramid and the basilica of St. Paul's, near a small bridge over the Almone's marrana, on the left side of those coming out of the Ostiense gate. It is certainly attested in a map of Rome by Leonardo Bufalini of 1551, which indicates it as “Crucifixus.” In 1562 the small chapel was granted by Pius IV to the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims and Convalescents, and six years later it was demolished and then rebuilt on the opposite side of the street, with a small hospital attached. In 1915, in order to widen the Via Ostiense, the little church was unfortunately demolished a and the inscription commemorating the historic farewell went to the sacristy of the church of SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini and later placed in a room of the eastern tower of the Porta San Paolo, which today houses the Museum of the Via Ostiense.

Eugène de la Gournerie refers to the chapel in the first chapter of Rome Chrétienne in the paragraph devoted to the church of Saint-Paul sur la voie d'Ostie:

“Saint Paul fut toujours uni à saint Pierre dans le respect des générations, et c'étaii aux temples des Apòtres, nous nous le rappelons ad limina Apostolorum, que sé faisaient les, pélerinages. Venu à Rome lorsque déjà Pierre y avait fait penetrer la foi, Paul y apporta toute l’ardeur de son zele évangélique, et il merita de mourir le meme jour que celui qui avait reçu pouvoir sur tout le troupeau. L'un et l'autre furent extraits de la prison Mamertine, le 29  juin 67, et conduits vers la porte Trigemina, par le quartier du Grand-Cirque qu'habitait le petit peuple, et dans lequel se trouvait sans doute plus d'un chrétien. Arrivés sur la voie d'Ostie, les deux martyrs durent se quitter. On voit encore sur cette route, à un mille de Rome, une chapelle érigée au lieu de la séparation, et qui est ainsi désign e: S.S. Pietro è Paolo qui separati” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Chrètienne, c. I, p. 62).