Alfieri Lante's Secret?

Question

So, I'm heading to @Rome next month and I'll be near the I. C. Alfieri Lante della Rovere school. My cousin, who went there years ago, keeps dropping hints about some legendary hidden courtyard or something, a place supposedly only the older students knew about, full of graffiti and maybe even a tiny abandoned fountain? He won't spill the beans, just keeps laughing. Is this a real thing or is he pulling my leg? I'm hoping to find it, it sounds way cooler than any boring old Roman ruin.

elly · Answer

oh it's real, i knew a guy who went there like 15 years ago and he said the same thing. the courtyard is tucked behind the old gym wing, there's a gate that's usually unlocked if you go around the side on via della balduina. last time i checked the fountain was just a mossy basin with a busted pipe but the graffiti is actually good, some of it from like the 90s. if you go on a saturday morning the caretaker is usually having a smoke out front and won't bother you if you look like you belong

lucfer · Answer

honestly i'd check the map for via della camilluccia, there's a service entrance that leads to the back of the school property. the courtyard is real but it's not some secret, it's just the old cloister they closed off when they built the new wing. the fountain is def there, a tiny one with a lion's head that's been dry for years. if you go during the afternoon when school's out, the gate on the via della balduina side is usually propped open by the janitor, just walk in like you're picking someone up

denise · Answer

Your cousin's probably not making it up. Old schools in @Rome, especially ones with a history like that, often have forgotten corners or little-known access points. It's entirely possible there's a courtyard somewhere on the property that's been unofficially claimed by students over the years. I wouldn't expect a pristine fountain, maybe more like... well, a slightly grotty little thing overgrown with weeds. Graffiti, definitely plausible.

Your best bet? Just wander around the school grounds during non-school hours if possible, look for less obvious entrances or alleyways that might lead somewhere unexpected. It might involve a little bit of trespassing, so use your best judgement. Good luck with your urban exploration! Let us know if you find it!

ellyschepers · Answer

I've been past that school a hundred times and never heard of a courtyard, but that doesn't mean it's not there. The building itself is old enough that the original layout probably had a central cloister, which matches what people say. If you're set on finding it, try going around the back on via della Balduina where the old delivery entrance is. There's a metal gate there that's often ajar, and the space behind it is exactly the kind of forgotten corner that fits what your cousin described.

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