"The Roman of Rome's least mortal mind;"
The friend of Petrarch and liberty,
Who died for Rome and Italy.
Rienzi! the patriotic Roman,
Close by whose house doth wind
The Tiber, subservient to the will of no man.
It was built from the remains of one of those medieval towers used by
the Romans as fortresses, and, as such, bore the name of the Torre di
Monzone. It was demolished by Arlotto degli Stefaneschi, in the year
1313, in order to diminish the power of the Orsini, in whose
possession it was. An inscription on the ruin states the founder to
have been a certain Nicolas, the son of Crescentius and Theodora.
Hence it has been supposed that the Crescentius here mentioned is
identical with the celebrated consul who ruled over Rome A.D. 998; an
opinion strengthened by the fact of his wife having really borne the
name of Theodora. Rienzi is said to have been descended from them.
Pope Leo XIII. was descended through his mother from Rienzi.