Septizodium

The Septizodium (also called "Septizonium" or "Septicodium") was a building in ancient Rome. It was built in the year 203 AD by Emperor Septimius Severus. The origin of the name "Septizodium" is unclear; the Septicozium was probably named for the seven planetary deities or for the fact that it was originally divided into seven parts. The building had no known practical purpose and was probably meant to be a decorative façade. The Septizodium was located at the place where the Via Appia leads to the Palatine.

The historian Ammianus Marcellinus referred to it as a "nymphaeum".

In August 1241, after the death of Pope Gregory IX, the 11 cardinals who were able to get into Rome through the lines of Emperor Frederick II's army came together in the ramshackle palace of the Septizodium. The 2-months long election was arduous, not only because of the deep political crisis but the physical hardships. There was a frightful heat and the rain leaked through the roof of the chamber of the cardinals, mingled with the urine of Matteo Rossi Orsini's guards on the rooftiles (Abulafia 1988, p 350). One of the cardinals fell ill and died. The new pope, Celestine IV was also very worn out, and died 16 days after his election.

In 1588, under the reign of Pope Sixtus V, the eastern facade of the building was demolished; no trace of it remains today.

References

*Ammianus Marcellinus: "The Later Roman Empire (AD 354–378)" translated by Walter Hamilton. Penguin, London 1986.
*Theodor Dombart: "Das palatinische Septizonium zu Rom". Beck, München 1922
*Karl Hampe: "Ein ungedruckter Bericht über das Konklave von 1241 im römischen Septizonium". (= Sitzungsberichte der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse; Jg. 1913, Abh. 1). Winter, Heidelberg 1913
*Christian Hülsen: "Das Septizonium des Septimus Severus". 46. Programm zum Winkelmannsfeste der Archäologischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin, 1886, S. 1-36
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/PLATOP*/Septizonium.html Platner, Samuel Ball and Thomas Ashby, "A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome" (1929): "Septizonium"]