The Paris Court of Auditors has suggested that the Spanish Steps in the centre of Rome, Italy, could belong to France.
Oku.AzThis is what the newspaper Corriere della Sera reports, based on the latest report from this independent watchdog.
As the report shows, the famous architectural monument erected in the Baroque style in the square of the same name in 1721-1725 was not only built with French money, but also with the support of the French religious organization “Pii Stabilimenti” in Rome for many years. This organization deals with the preservation of famous historical churches, starting with the church of San Luigi dei Français. The Chamber of Accounts raised doubts about the activities of this organization, because the list of its real estate assets is more extensive and their efficient use can help maintain churches in good condition.
The history of the Spanish Steps is closely connected with that of France. The order for their construction belongs to the French Cardinal Pierre Guérin de Tansen. The stairs lead up from the square to the church of Troisa – Trinita-dei-Monti, which belongs to the “French” churches of Rome. Nearby is the Villa Medici, named after the Dukes of Florence, but which was taken over by France during the Napoleonic era. Now the French Academy (Institute of French Culture) is located here.
The French side now wants to define more precisely the status of the staircase with almost 140 steps. Although the staircase belonged to the Papal State, which existed until the unification of Italy, it was protected by the Popes of Rome and was inaugurated in 1725 by Pope Benedict XIII on the occasion of the Christian Jubilee Year.
Italian representatives mocked the “new calculation” of Paris and proposed to count Italian works of art in the Louvre. Most of the museum’s exhibits were removed by Napoleon’s troops. Leonardo da Vinci’s famous work “Gaconda” was even stolen at the beginning of the 20th century to be returned to his homeland. It is known that the Italian Renaissance artist, who ended his life in France under the patronage of King Francis I, left no portraits.
