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Rome hotels.
visit Rome in 2 days
- 1st day
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visit Rome in 3 days
visit Rome in 4 days
- 1st day
- 2nd day
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discover Rome:
- Water in Rome
- Along the Tiber
- Medieval Rome
- Egyptian Obelisks
- The historic squares
- Baroque Rome
- Renaissance in Rome
- Villas and gardens
- Arches ancient Rome
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Piazza del Popolo - Photo (c)
LucaP
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The historic squares of Rome
This itinerary can start from nowhere
else but the Piazza del Campidoglio situated on the Capitoline Hill,
which has always been the privileged seat of divinity and power.
Although it is the lowest and least
extensive of the Seven Hills of Rome, in the early 6th century B.C.
there stood the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus, by
far the most important temple of ancient Rome. Near the present-day
church of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli was, instead, the Temple of Juno
Moneta.
It was precisely in the Temple of
Juno Moneta, i.e. "exhorter, admonisher", that the first mint of
Rome was established, and the goddess's epithet later gave rise to
the Italian word "moneta", to mean "coin".
In 390 B.C. the Gauls, commanded by
King Brennus, stormed into Rome, crossing the Capitoline Hill, but
the sacred geese of Juno, kept here, started squawking. The Romans,
awakened by the noise of the animals, were thus able to repel the
assailants.
During the Middle Ages the summit of
the hill, partially abandoned, leading it to be called Monte Caprino
after the goats grazing there, was the site of a marketplace.
In the market the measure for wine
was the inside of an ancient column drum, while that for wheat (the
ruggitella) was the urn of the ashes of the Empress Agrippina.
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The square, as an actual urban
element, was created only starting in 1538, when Pope Paul III
entrusted its arrangement to Michelangelo.
Michelangelo designed the
lovely star-shaped pavement pattern, the façade of the Palazzo Senatorio, the seat of the City of Rome since 1143, and the two
palaces embracing the square, today the renovated seat of the
Capitoline Museums, the oldest museums in the world.
The equestrian statue of Marcus
Aurelius, of which a faithful copy can be seen in the center of the
square and the original is in the museums, managed to pass unharmed
through the Middle Ages, a period when metals were melted down and
reused, only thanks to a misunderstanding: the popes, who were its
owners until the 15th century, had identified the person depicted as
Constantine, the first Christian emperor.
Legend has it that when
the screech-owl between the horse's ears will hoot, the end of the
world will arrive. This event seems to be very far off, however,
considering that the owl is, in reality, a tuft of the horse's mane!
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Campidoglio Square
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Il Vittoriano
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A new passageway connects Piazza del
Campidoglio to the Terraces of the Vittoriano which offer a breath
taking view of the city. The monument, devoted to the first king of
Italy Victor Emmanuel II, and, since 1921, to the Unknow Soldier,
includes the Museum of the Risorgimento and the Sanctuary of the
Flags. It is entirely accessible to the public.
At the foot of the Capitoline Hill
opens out Piazza Venezia, which takes its name from the monumental
palace ordered by Pope Paul II, who was of Venetian origin, in the
mid-15th century.
In 1929, when Palazzo Venezia became the seat of the head of the
Government, the square was proclaimed "Forum of Italy", becoming the
true center of the city.
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One side of the square is dominated by the
theatrical backdrop of the Vittoriano. The construction of the
building unfortunately carried with it the total destruction of the
pre-existing medieval and Renaissance quarter where Michelangelo had
lived until his death.
From Piazza Venezia it is possible to reach fairly quickly, going
down a stretch of the Via del Corso, Piazza Colonna, thus named
after the 2nd-century marble column celebrating the victories of the
Emperor Marcus Aurelius over the Germanic populations.
The column escaped destruction because during the Middle Ages the
little Benedictine church of Sant'Andrea was built against it. It
was possible to go up to the little terrace at the top, using the
internal staircase, on payment of a fee. From there, where the
statues of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina were once situated, the
pilgrims could admire a vast panorama.
The square was the site of the papal
post office, a place of famous cafés, and famous band concerts. At
present it is the center of the Italian political life, which
gravitates around Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Prime Minister.
From Piazza Colonna we can go,
passing in front of Palazzo Montecitorio, seat of the Parliament of
the Republic, towards the Piazza called della Rotonda which takes
its name from the unmistakable structure of the Pantheon.
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The Pantheon is the building of ancient Rome which has been
preserved best down to the present day, and is a true masterpiece of
architecture. The name of Agrippa, which can still be read on the
façade, remembers the son-in-law of the Emperor Augustus, who first
built this temple dedicated "to all the gods". The present-day
Pantheon however, completely different from the original, is the
work of the Emperor Hadrian, who rebuilt the monument in the early
2nd century, keeping only the ancient inscription out of modesty.
In the 6th century the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the building to
Pope Boniface IV, who turned it into the present church of Sancta
Maria ad Martyres.
For the solemn consecration of the
church, the pope had 28 cartloads of bones of martyrs brought from
the catacombs, putting them underneath the altar. During the
ceremony, as the notes of the Gloria were struck, the Romans saw
swarms of devils rise up and fly out the hole in the dome.
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Pantheon Square
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The most amazing characteristic of
the building is the exceptional covering dome. It is the largest
dome ever created out of concrete: it measures 43.30 m in diameter
and is greater than that of the dome of St. Peter's!
The entire building is conceived as a
perfect geometric figure: a sphere inserted in a cylinder. The
diameter of the sphere coincides with the height of the cylinder.
The dome, created with different materials, increasingly lighter as
they go upwards, ends with a large open "eye", of a diameter of 9
meters. Through this opening enters the rain, which is conveyed into
the drains visible on the pavement.
The Pantheon today is the sanctuary
of the kings of Italy: in fact it holds the tombs of Victor Emmanuel
II, Humbert I and Margherita di Savoia.
In an ancient sarcophagus there is
also the tomb of Raphael. On the cover of the sarcophagus are
inscribed the two Latin verses that Pietro Bembo wrote for the
famous artist: This is Raphael: living, great Nature feared he might
outvie Her works, and dying, fears herself may die.
If you have time for a short pause,
we suggest you have a coffee or a coffee ice ("granita") with
whipped cream at the Tazza d'Oro coffee shop, at the corner of Via
dei Pastini. Gastronomical delicacies can be purchased at the Rossi
delicatessen at Piazza della Rotonda 4.
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Piazza Navona
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From Piazza della Rotonda the
distance is short to Piazza Navona, one of the most extraordinary
examples of town planning in the city. The original shape of the
piazza, in fact, repeats with extreme faithfulness the perimeter of
the ancient stadium of Domitian built in 86 A.D. for athletic
competitions.
The remains of this ancient complex
lie 5-6 meters below the current road level, and can still be seen
underneath a modern building in Piazza di Tor Sanguigna and in the
basements of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. The present-day
name of the piazza derives, by linguistic corruption, from the term
"Agones", which in Latin means "games".
The church of Sant'Agnese in Agone
stands on the spot where, according to tradition, the
twelve-year-old Agnes was martyred at the end of the 3rd century
during the violent persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. The saint
was exposed to the mockery of the pagans, but her nakedness was
covered by the miraculous growth of her own hair.
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The nature and appearance of the
present-day piazza were impressed in the 17th century since the
noble family of the Pamphili, who had established there residence in
the zone, entrusted the greatest architects of the time with the
task of monumentalising the area and making it one of the most
scenic spaces existing in the city.
One of the most amusing spectacles
was the so-called "lake" which was created in the piazza during the
hottest months. The mouth of the sea monster twisting amidst the
waves, the only drainage point of the water of the Fountain of the
Four Rivers, was closed, thus causing the piazza to be flooded. The
carriages going to Palazzo Pamphili were decorated in the most
bizarre fashions, always in any case having to do with water. As
they went by they were admired by the people, who took advantage of
the lake to freshen up a little. The custom was interrupted in the
late 1800s for sanitary reasons.
The piazza is surrounded by excellent
cafés and ice-cream shops: we recommend a stop at Tre scalini, for
their famous chocolate "truffle", or the Caffè della Pace on Via
della Pace, which for years has been one of the liveliest meeting
places of the capital. At night it is the preferred spot for young
people and entertainers, while in the daytime it is the haven of
artists and intellectuals.
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The necessary close to the itinerary
across the historic squares of Rome is piazza di Spagna. Extremely
original in shape, with a narrowing a the center which divides it
into two parts, almost like a butterfly's wings, since the 17th
century it has been the meeting place for travelers coming from all
over the world, who could easily arrive here with their carriages.
Thus hotels, shops and cafés began to
spring up, where painters, writers, and children of rich families
would meet, in an international atmosphere, described in the late
19th century by Gabriele D'Annunzio.
The European nature of the area
is clearly stressed by the presence of the diplomatic offices of
France and Spain, which also influenced the name of the piazza
itself. In fact, at first known as Platea Trinitatis, after the
church of Trinità dei Monti overlooking it, it later became Piazza di Spagna,
on the right side, in front of the building of the Spanish Embassy,
and Piazza di Francia, on the part towards Via del Babuino.
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Spanish Steps
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In 1857, the column of the Virgin was
raised in front of the palazzo di Spagna. It is one of the last
monuments of papal Rome, ordered by Pope Pius IX to celebrate the
proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the
Virgin. Each year, on 8 December, the city's firemen, in the
presence of the pope, pay homage to the Virgin by placing a floral
wreath on the statue.
On the hilltop, where in antiquity there were fabulous residential
villas, today there is the striking façade of the church erected in
the 16th century for the French monarchs on the spot preferred by
St. Francis of Paola for solitude and peace. In fact, the site was
completely isolated from the lower part and, where today the
staircase is admired, there was originally an actual wood, often the
site of crimes. The staircase built by Francesco de Santis, starting
in 1732, is made up of 138 steps which are ascended very easily
because the architect had included in his plan benches and small
resting spaces between one ramp and the next.
If it is afternoon, we recommend
stopping for the ritual 5 o'clock tea at the renowned Babington's
Tearoom, a true piece of old England established in 1893 by the
enterprising Miss Babington and Miss Cargill. Here an excellent
brunch is also served, but for a quicker snack there is always Mc
Donald's in Piazza di Spagna.
Courtesy of
romaturismo.com
Azienda Promozione Turistica Comune di Roma
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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