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History.

The refuge of lost time

The antica birreria Peroni, the only historical establishment of its kind in the Capital, can certainly claim to be steeped in the odor of sanctity.

The Birreria is situated in Via di S. Marcello, which hurried, unobservant passers-by might take to be just another of Rome's narrow cobbled streets. It has, however, borne witness to martyrdom and miracles.

Originally the site of a catabulum or stable for horses and coaches of the Roman post service, where Pope Marcellus I was forced to perform menial tasks by Emperor Maxentius, it was to acquire a religious area over the the ages.
A church dedicated to the Pope and holy martyr was built on the ruins of the stable with its original façade on the street, which was also named after the saint. The church was burnt to the ground in 1519 and rebuilt with its façade at the other end on Via del Corso.

The Galleria San Marco was also built on the site of the demolished Palazzo Costa to connect the two streets.

The ancient baptismal font of the original church can still be seen in the gallery, which is now the property of Banca di Roma and no longer a public thoroughfare. Via di San Marcello was the scene of a miracle in 1669, when the eyes of of an image of the virgin Mary in a wayside shrine were seen to move. The family of Marchesa Lavarelli Papazzurri commemorated this event by building the chapel now known as the Madonna dell'Archetto, the smallest Marian chapel in existence. The miracle was repeated in 1796.

It wa in these hallowed precincts that a depot for beer and ice, later to become the Antica Birreria Peroni, was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The conversion began in 1920s, when the painter Albani frescoed the premises, including a room at one end that still housed the ropes used to ring the bell of the adjacent church. The mottos painted on the walls were devised by Conte Salviucci, a member of the Vatican Academy of Sciences.

An inexplicable event occurred during the refurbishment, when an enigmatic symbol appeared on the small arch separating the room of the bell ropes from the others. It continued to show through despite all the painter's efforts, thus giving rise to talk of arcane mysteries. In any case, all trace of this disappeared in the wake of radical restructuring as the Birreria Peroni began its long span of activity.

The present entrance housed large cement tanks where where bottled beer was stored under finely crushed ice covered with a large tarpaulin to keep the cold in.

Regular customers were assigned numbered glasses for exclusive personal use as a mark of recognition.

Beer and ice were delivered by dray throughout the surrounding area from one source only, namely the Birreria Peroni. With the sound of post horses a distant memory, Via di San Marcello echoed to the clattering hooves of powerful hungarian cart horses hauling barrels of Peroni's renowned amber ale to be served on draught.

Our journey through the story of the Antica Birreria Peroni thus ends in a present with its roots firmly embedded in tradition. Just look around you at the setting redolent of bygone times and let your imagination conjure up the mysterious and enchanting past.



Ora siamo in un presente formatosi all'ombra delle solide radici della tradizione. Il viaggio nella storia dell'Antica Birreria Peroni è terminato. Guardatevi intorno, lasciate correre la fantasia, e nel profumo d'antico del legno potrete rivivere quel passato misterioso e affascinante.

Ludovico Pontillo