The drawing depicts the route to the monastery of Santa Maria a Monte/de’ Monti which lay “east of Naples beyond Ponti Rossi between Capodimonte and Capodichino”.¹

The locality of Santa Maria de’ Monti was a treasured find of Thomas Jones, who introduced Pars as well as Towne to the area:

I proceeded to meet Pars, according to appointment at an Osteria in the road to S’a M’a de Monti – In this hollow Way is a most beautiful Series of picturesque Objects, which I discovered by Accident in one of my perambulations – Here may visibly be traced the Scenery that Salvator Rosa formed himself upon – Only taking away the Pinetrees, which were, perhaps, planted since his time, and which indicate a State of Cultivation not suited his gloomy mind, with the addition of Water & a few Banditti – And every hundred yards presents you with a new and perfect Composition of that Master – When Towne was in Naples, I took him with me to see this romantick place, with which he seemed much delighted.²

On their visit Jones and Towne were startled by some threatening local policemen, which Jones recounted at length in his memoirs (for the entire passage, see the Naples, 1781 introduction). Jones’s fondness for this area endured, and Joseph Farington recalled Jones describing the spot over dinner in London, twenty years later:

Near Naples He found a most picturesque dell or ravine, in which He saw the scenery & circumstances of which Salvator Rosa formed those Landscapes which are by many supposed to be ideal. – Salvator indeed omitted the pine tree which is found there, evidently because it would not have suited the character which He wished should prevail in his Landscapes.³

Nine drawings by Jones of this road are known, including two made on 31 March 1781, one of which shares the viewpoint of Towne’s drawing.⁴ Jones’s notebook confirms that he and Towne spent time together on 31 March.⁵