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.
OLD RHYMING VERSE ON THE HOUSE OF RIENZI.
"First of the foremost, Nicolas, great from a low estate,
Raised (this) to revive the glory of his fathers.
There is placed the name of his father and mother, Crescentius and Theodora.