Amazing Rome

 

PIAZZA DEL POPOLO

 

This is a famous square in Rome at the foot of the Pincio hill that, together with Via del Corso, Via del Babuino, and Via Ripetta, is the so-called trident. On the square designed by Valadier, you will see the twin churches of St. Maria in Montesanto and St. Maria dei Miracoli by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Carlo Rainaldi, in collaboration with Carlo Fontana and another church, St. Maria del Popolo, the oldest and most important of the three churches, restored by Bernini. The church houses two masterpieces by Caravaggio.

 

 

 

PIAZZA DI SPAGNA

 

One of the most famous squares of Rome, where you will find the amazing Barcaccia Fountain by Bernini. A monumental stairway of 135 steps, built by Alessandro Specchi, connects the square to the church of Trinità dei Monti. To the right of the staircase is the house of John Keats, the famous English poet, which is now converted into a museum dedicated to him and Shelley, a fellow English Romantic poet who also spent time in Rome.

 

 

 

TREVI FOUNTAIN

 

The square is largely occupied by the famous Trevi Fountain, one of the most appreciated fountains in the world. The late Baroque fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi and is still fed by the Virgin aqueduct, a Roman aqueduct designed in 19 BC! The fountain was the backdrop of a memorable scene of La Dolce Vita, a famous film by Federico Fellini.

 

 

 

PANTHEON

 

In Piazza della Rotonda stands the amazing Pantheon, the best preserved building of ancient Rome. The temple, dedicated to all the gods, was built by the emperor Hadrian above an earlier temple built by Agrippa, general officer of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. The Pantheon demonstrates the constructive genius of the Romans. The dome is a marvel of harmony and technique because it is a perfect half-sphere inscribed in a cylinder and it is one meter larger than the dome of St. Peter's!

 

 

 

PIAZZA NAVONA

 

The unique shape of the square is the form of an ancient stadium: the stadium of Domitian, built by the emperor Domitianus for Greek athletic competitions. The square was built in monumental style by Pope Innocent X and it houses some of the wonders of Baroque Rome, such as the Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini and the Church of St. Agnese in Agone by Borromini.

 

 

 

PIAZZA CAMPO DE’ FIORI

 

For centuries, Campo de’ Fiori was the main stage for public executions. The most famous was that of Giordano Bruno, a Dominican friar condemned for heresy and burned at the stake in 1600. His statue still dominates the center of the square. Since the nineteenth century, the square is the home of the most lively and characteristic market of Rome. Nearby are ancient narrow alleyways with traditional shops that still have the name of the artisans who once worked there.

 

 

 

ALTAR OF THE FATHERLAND

 

The square, which takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia residence of Pope Paul II, represented the arrival point of the famous horse race that took place in 1500 during the Carnival, along the Via del Corso. The colossal monument that stands on the square is the Victorian: the national monument dedicated to the first king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II. Here stands the Altar of the Fatherland, which holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

 

 

 

CAPITOLINE HILL

 

The square, the heart of the city and the seat of government, is located on the hill of the Capitol. It is a perfect example of a Renaissance square. The trapezoidal “square” is a famous urban invention by the great Michelangelo, which creates the illusion of a larger space than it really is. At the center of the square stands the colossal equestrian statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius, a copy of the original which is preserved in the nearby Capitoline Museums.