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Vico Papa in Itri: the lane with the bone gutter and two neighbouring Popes
Halfway along Via San Martino, on the right, lies Vico Papa (the Pope’s Lane). On the last building of the alley, Casa Sferra, several noble coats of arms are still visible: local tradition associates them with a visit by Clement VII to Itri, claiming the Pope stayed in this very house.
The Pope who changed the Church
However, the best documented history concerns another pontiff. According to local memory and various historiographical sources, Bartolomeo Prignano was born in Itri around 1318. He became Archbishop of Bari, and was elected Pope on April 8, 1378, taking the name Urban VI. He was the first Italian Pope following decades of the Avignon Papacy, and the last to be elected without being a cardinal. His eleven-year pontificate fractured the Church. The cardinals, weary of his harsh reforms against simony and privileges, elected an antipope, Robert of Geneva (Clement VII), sparking the Western Schism.
A surprising gutter
Looking up at the façade of Casa Sferra, one notices a gutter (or eaves) constructed with roof tiles supported by human bones. Exposed to the elements for centuries, they have hardened rather than deteriorated. This particular detail leaves the most lasting impression on visitors.
