THE SEVEN CHURCHES

CHURCH OF SAINT PAUL’S OUTSIDE THE WALLS

In the Basilica of Saint Paul’s outside the Walls, the House Martin nests in the marble petals of the rose windows of the portico, which sounds almost poetical! Indeed, it is an ideal site because of the protection and quiet offered by the vaults of the cloister and the close proximity to the River Tiber, where these extremely skilful fliers collect the mud to build their cup-shaped nests, similar to those built by Barn Swallows. Along the two sides of the portico, in-between the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian capitals, several Italian Sparrow nests are found. They can be easily recognised owing to the untidy lumps of grass and twigs which can be seen coming out of the nests. In the portico, amongst the capitals of the columns, there are also European Honeybee hives, whereas Mason Bees nest in the embroideries of the vestments of the statue of Pope Gregory. In the gardens of the four-sided portico surrounding the statue of St. Paul, and also in the lateral garden several species of passerines are found, such as the Blackbird, the Common Starling, the Black Redstart, the European Serin, the Eurasian Treecreeper and the Wren. The Peregrine Falcon also nests on the cornice of the lateral tympanum, which sometimes stands at the foot of the effigy of Christ in the front tympanum, adorned with fine nineteenth-century mosaics. Sometimes in early spring, both the pair and their new-born can be seen inside their nest. The parent birds also roost on the roof of the bell tower overlooking Via Ostiense, before leaving to hunt for prey. The breeding season starts mid-February and chicks have usually left the nest by mid-April.

CHURCH OF SAINT PETER

Saint Peter’s is the largest church in the world. It stands with its dome like a sacred mountain, offering countless opportunities for shelter and nesting to birds, among niches, cornices, lodges and fringes. The rear end of the Vatican Gardens, the oldest in Rome, is invisible from the square but covers half of Vatican City, thus enriching the ideal embrace of the Bernini colonnade with biodiversity. A pair of Kestrels have been nesting right on the dome of the basilica for many years, but one can also see Blue Rock Thrushes, Collared Doves, Common Starlings, House Martins and several other species found in the capital city. For decades however, the square has been filled with Yellow-legged Gulls which are seen flying majestically, and often stand on the high parts of the colonnade or on the fountains in the square. These birds nest among the rooftops and cornices of Vatican City’s numerous buildings, reminding us of the close connection of the city with the marine environment. Just during the wait for the white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel – announcing the election of Pope Leo XIV – the televisions of the whole world unintentionally filmed a pair of these gulls which, unconcerned about the crowd below, were lovingly keeping an eye on their new-born chick, which is shown wobbling between the roof tiles. This episode triggered everyone’s curiosity and interest.

CHURCH OF SAINT SEBASTIAN

The Basilica of Saint Sebastian outside the Walls, as well as hosting many Barn Swallows, House Martins and Common Swifts flying, screaming and quickly darting across the sky, also holds many Common Starling nests, found in cavities and hollows on the façade and on the roof. In particular, a pair of Starlings are often seen in the cavity behind the coat of arms on the façade. These passerines also colonise the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, where, together with Italian Sparrows and Black Redstarts, they occupy every niche and cavity for nesting. This Basilica offers emotions and interests not only from a historical and religious point of view but also from a natural perspective, thanks to its location inside the Park of the Appia Antica, one of Rome’s most important “ecological corridors”, a real green wedge that connects the suburban areas with the city centre. In front of the Basilica, there are the vast meadows of the Mausoleum of Romulus and the Circus of Maxentius, which favour the presence of many winged species, including Common Starlings, Blackbirds, European Serins, European Goldfinches, Eurasian Robins and Italian Sparrows. Over the fields, Barn Swallows and House Martins fly swiftly hunting insects. Occasionally, Cattle Egrets can be seen looking for small prey on the ground.

CHURCH OF SAINT JOHN

Flying over the Basilica of Saint John Lateran on the protruding façade, but also on the roof of the Shrine of the Scala Santa or on the Aurelian Walls that line the square, one can easily observe the Kestrel. This small bird of prey, quite common in the city, nests behind the gable of the transept. Its typical hovering – in Italian called spirito santo (lit. ‘holy spirit’) – is useful to identify it in flight, as it resembles that of the image of the third person of the Holy Trinity (the famous dove). The Kestrel takes up this position with an energetic wing beat and fanning-out its tail, to remain still in the air against the wind, so that it can better locate its prey (small passerines, flying insects, lizards, mice etc.). The Aurelian Walls that border the church also offer a suitable habitat for many other species of birds, such as Common Starlings, Black Redstarts, Feral Pigeons, and recently also the Rose-ringed Parakeet. Moreover, in the warmer months House Martins and Common Swifts are seen whizzing past, especially in the morning and before sunset filling the air with their shrill sounds. It is often easy to see Yellow-legged Gulls perching on the statue of St. Francis, which seems to dialogue with the statues of Jesus and the other saints on the façade of the Basilica, where from time to time the Blue Rock Thrush can be seen standing.

CHURCH OF SAINT MARY MAJOR

Across Via Merulana, the building complex of Saint Mary Major is connected with the Basilica of St. John and, through Via Carlo Alberto, with the beautiful gardens of Piazza Vittoria. Next to the basilica, the presence of the fourteenth-century bell tower stands out, which is the highest in Rome at 75 metres. Given the hilly location of the basilica (Aesquiline), its summit is the highest point in the city. This makes it an ideal location for observation and stationing for Peregrine Falcons, ready to fly in search of prey. It is the fastest bird in the world and, when launched into a dive closing its wings, it can reach a speed of 300 kilometres per hour. Its favourite prey are Common Starlings, Feral Pigeons, Collared Doves, House Martins, Common Swifts and also the arrival of the numerous Rose-ringed Parakeets that populate the area. Flying over the square in front of the entrance of the basilica, there are plenty of majestic Yellow-legged Gulls. They often land to drink and refresh themselves from the beautiful fountain adjacent to the imposing Column of Peace. This fountain is the only survivor of the eight fountains that used to adorn the central vault of the Basilica of Maxentius (now in the archaeological area of the Roman Forum), erroneously identified with the Temple of Peace during the Middle Ages.

CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS IN JERUSALEM

Also in the Aesquiline quarter is the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, connected through the Aurelian Walls and the beautiful gardens of Via Carlo Felice with the nearby Basilica of St. John. The building complex of the basilica has an imposing travertine baroque façade. This together with the Castrensis Amphitheatre and the adjacent gardens, once cared for by the Cistercian monks, provides a space for many bird species that inhabit the skies above this basilica. This monument also offers many opportunities for rest and shelter with its cornices, roofs and a beautiful square bell tower in brick eight storeys high. Above all, nesting Common Swifts can be observed, which use the cavities under the roof tiles, in the bridge holes, in the walls of buildings, behind the gutters or in the gaps between the windows. The Swift, fully adapted to aerial life, spends almost its whole life in flight. It eats, drinks, mates, collects nest material and even sleeps whilst in mid-air. Its adaptation is surprising: its long narrow wings allow fast and precise flight while catching flying insects with its huge mouth. A highly gregarious bird, the Swift carries out daring aerial acrobatics with groups of individuals chasing each other and rushing over roofs and between buildings, accompanied by the characteristic, long screeching calls, emitted continuously throughout the day. There are also Blackbirds, Black Redstarts, doves, sparrows and Monk Parakeets that build their nests on the cedars of Lebanon in the garden of the nearby Historical Museum of the Grenadiers of Sardinia.

CHURCH OF SAINT LAURENCE

One of the species that often frequents and nests in the Basilica of Saint Laurence, is the Black Redstart, which has adapted perfectly to living in urban environments. It prefers to nest between cracks and ledges. From the standpoint of nature observation, this church is favoured by its proximity to the 83 hectares wide Verano Monumental Cemetery, one of Rome’s largest green areas. With its tall trees and many niches it is considered to be the place with the richest wildlife in Rome, where the colourful birds and fast wing beats act as a counterpart to the marble wings of the many mournful angels watching over the tombs. The call of the Parakeets greedy for the small cypress pinecones often resounds. In the sky, Swifts and House Martins whizz past and the kestrel flies over the area stopping every now and then and hovering in order to locate the prey below. Jackdaws, Blackcaps, Chaffinches, Common Starlings, Eurasian Robins and Wrens can be seen among the cypresses that dominate the square and the pines that gently touch the basilica with their branches.

COLOSSEUM

The Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre in the world, is an extraordinary treasure trove of biodiversity, like many other monumental legacies from the Roman era – such as the aqueduct of Segovia, Spain – which houses the largest Common Swift colony in Europe. In the holes of the two-thousand-year-old sandstone and travertine walls of the Colosseum (which housed the iron bars holding the building blocks together), Swifts no longer nest. They have been evicted by Rose-ringed Parakeets, an exotic species originally from Africa and East Asia that in recent years has been multiplying in Rome, as well as in the rest of Italy, causing serious damage to native biodiversity. The Parakeets sometimes prey also on Swift fledglings, House Martins (and bats), destroying their nests. Among the old “inhabitants” of the amphitheatre, there are still colonies of Eurasian Jackdaws, pairs of Kestrels, which nest in the upper level, on the slope facing the Park of Colle Oppio. Among various species, the Blue rock Thrush stands out. This is the most famous bird in Italian poetry since it is the protagonist of a short poem by Giacomo Leopardi. This bird nests between the cracks of the brick spur that was added by Raffaele Stern in 1806 as a buttress to stabilise the outer circle of the wall.