THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
I like to break Rome, the city, up into three parts.
The Imperial includes the Colosseum, the Forum, Palantine Hill, Circus Maximus, Tempio del Divo Claudio, Baths of Caracalla, and more. I include Trajan’s Column, Altare della Patria (the wedding cake) and the Capitoline Museums in this section since they are so close.
The Vatican is a whole different country. The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St Peters Church and square are enough to fill the better part of a day.
To this I add the Passetto di Borgo, Castel Sant’Angelo, and the Ponte Sant’Angelo. And people think they can see Rome in a day.
What does that leave?
What I call Rome’s Old Section. I promise there is plenty to see.
The Old section is predominantly in the area east of the River Tiber, and inside the city walls.
This eliminates the Villa Borghese and gardens.
Then we are going to narrow that down. Take out the Imperial section at the south.
Take out everything you have to climb a hill or steps to reach. This is everything northeast of Via del Babuino, which becomes Via dei Due Macelli at Piazza di Spagna.
This cuts out the Via Veneto (la dolce vita) and the area around the train station that has some cool sites.
There just can not be anything else to see.
Strap on some good walking shoes and I’m going to prove you wrong. We have some piazzas to discover in Rome.
Through the Gate.
We are going to start at the Porta Flaminia. This city gate in the Aurelian Walls dates from around 1475. The walls from 275 A.D. Each gate would lead to a Roman road. Remember, all roads lead to Rome. This particular gate was for the ancient road to Ariminum (Rimini) a three day walk due north on the Adriatic Sea.
Before stepping through the gates, take a quick look left. The two little temple like buildings mark the lower entrance to the Borghese Gardens. You did see them.
Today, most people call these the Popolo Gates because that is the name of the plaza just inside.
Rome’s Piazza Popolo.
Just inside the gate on your left is the Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo. It was important to have a church and public bath near the city gate for people arriving. The church may be from sometime in the 1300s. During the Napoleonic times, they destroy the records. Much of the facade is from a 1470 renovation. The interior reflects much of a 1660 renovation.
A note: Many churches in Rome are free to visit. Inside this one you will find artwork by as Raphael, Bernini, Caravaggio, Bramante, and more.
Dan Brown fans may wish to check out the Chigi Chapel where Bernini’s sculpture Habakkuk and the Angel sits. This is supposedly one of the four “markers” (earth) leading to the Illuminati’s secret lair.
The Piazza del Popolo was a public space where you could find merchants selling goods, or meet your neighbor. It was also the site for public executions, until 1826.
The grand oval you see today only dates from 1822. Before that it was a smaller more cramped space. At the time of the enlarging, a new aquduct was just reaching the city. So they add two fountains for people to get fresh water.
We are going to take the street to its left, the Via del Babuino and walk about 10 minutes. Actually this walk can take hours depending on how many Italian fashion and jewelry boutiques you have to go in.
Piazza di Spagna.
This is one of Rome’s most famous piazzas. The name comes from the Palazzo di Spagna, the Embassy of Spain to the Holy See (Pope). This embassy is the oldest in the world. It dates from 1480 when King Ferdinand the Catholic needs some help with some Moors. The palace is still the Embassy to the Holy See and is at the south end of the piazza. The Embassy of Spain to Italy is in the Palazzo Borghese near the river.
In front of the palazzo is the Column of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary dating from 1856.
However, the main reason people come here is for a 135-step staircase dating from 1725. At the top of the steps is the Trinità dei Monti church. Its patron is the French House of Bourbon (kings of France.) The embassy below in the piazza is under the patronage of the Spanish House of Bourbon (Spanish kings). They built a pretty Baroque staircase to connect them.
The street leading away from the bottom of the steps, with your back to the steps, is the Via Condotti. For a better view of the church at the top and the stairs walk down this street and turn around. Walk to say, the Gucci store or Bulgari before turning around. Focus! we are looking at the church not the $2000 shoes.
In Addition.
Return to the bottom of the steps and admire the Baroque fountain. The Fontana della Barcaccia, (Fountain of the Boat.) As part of a papal project to build a fountain in every major piazza, Pope Urban VIII commisions Pietro Bernini. Pietro is the father of the more famous sculptor. When his father dies before finishing the sculpture, Gian Lorenzo Bernini finishes it.
To the right of the steps is the last home of the English poet John Keats. He will die here in 1821 of tuberculosis at the age of 25. His grave, and that of Percy Shelley, and the painter Joseph Severn is near the Porta San Paolo. The city gate with the pyramid on the south side of town. The house contains a small museum to Keats and Shelley.
Two young English ladies open a tea room in Rome in 1893. Isabel Cargill and Anna Maria Babington are brave, as Italians do not drink tea at that time. It becomes a hit, first with British on the Grande Tour, and later the Italians. Needing larger space, they move into the present location, once stables for the palazzo. At the time, they would call this area the English ghetto. Today descendents of Isabell still run the Babington Tea Rooms. It is usually a mad scene during afternoon tea. Go for lunch or early tea and don’t forget your euros. A cup of tea will set you back $15.
Come, we are walking south from the Column on Via di Propaganda. It is approximately ten minutes walk to our next stop.
Rome’s Piazza di Trevi.
The city choses a point where three roads (tre vie) come together for their new aqueducts terminal point. The 14 mile long Acqua Vergine, is actually a revamp of the Aqua Virgo, dating from 19 B.C. A design competition in 1730 ends with the Pope assigning Nicola Salvi the project. When he dies during construction, four additional architects will finish it. The theme is Taming of the waters and it is probably the prettiest water faucet you will ever see. The fountains original purpose was to bring water to the people pre-indoor plumbing.
Toss a coin or Three Coins in the Fountain to guarantee you return. (Right hand over left shoulder with back to the fountain.) The good news is you can use a coin from any country. The better news is they donate the more than one million dollars a year to a charity for the needy.
Be on high alert that your purse or wallet does not leave with someone else.
While facing the fountain, check out the facade of Saints Vincenzo and Anastasio church behind you to the right. It doesn’t spew water but its pretty impressive.
Turn left and follow Via delle Muratte to our next piazza of Rome, less than ten minutes away.
Bonus Stop.
In the Piazza di Pietra, on your left is the remaining columns from the 145 A.D. Il Tempio di Adriano (Temple of Hadrian.)
Why does it have a moat? It doesn’t Look down and you can see where street level was in ancient Rome. They keep building on top of previous foundations.
Turn right and follow the street departing the piazza ahead of you to the left (Via dei Pastini.) You will know our next stop as soon as you see it.
Rome’s Piazza della Rotonda.
The piazza gets its name from the church of Santa Maria Rotonda. Who? What? O.K., the full name is Santa Maria (St. Mary) and the Martyrs.
Maybe you know it better by its original name, the Pantheon.
The facade of the round building dates from a 14 A.D. temple built by Marcus Agrippa. However, due to two different fires, much of the building itself dates from a rebuild by Hadrian circa 126 A.D.
The Emperor Theodosius outlaws paganism in 392 A.D. But he is in Constantinople and Rome doesn’t seem to get the message until the fifth century.
Finally In 609, the Emperor Phocas gives the building to the Pope who converts it into a Christian church.
When the Pope has the piazza in front of the building built in 1439, they name it after the church.
Today, the Pantheon still has the largest unreinforced (no rebar) concrete dome in the world. It is the original 126 A.D. dome and is larger than the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.
And it is still a Catholic church. Mass takes place on Sunday mornings.
Besides the impressive architecture, the best preserved from Roman times in Rome, people visit for the tombs. Many important Italians lay in rest here including the painters Raphael and Carracci, and the Italian composer Corelli. There are also two Italian kings and a queen. Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy and King Umberto I, and his Queen, Margherita of Savoy. They will name the first pizza in her honor.
Three blocks west is our final piazza of Rome.
Rome’s Piazza Navona.
Looking very much like the outline of a stadium, the piazza sits on what was the Stadium of Domitian. This circa 80 A.D. stadium was for sporting events. When the Colosseum suffers damage circa 275, gladiator events move here. The Emperor Diocletion puts the Christian St Agnes to death here circa 300 A.D. The foundations of todays buildings are using the stadiums lower arcade, hence the shape of the piazza.
The piazza takes on its Baroque Roman architecture and art circa 1650. The current pope at that time Innocent X, lives in family palace, Palazzo Pamphili, on the piazza.
In the center is Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers.) A massive marble fountain representing the four rivers the Pope has authority over. They are the the Nile, Danube, Ganges, and the Río de la Plata in the Americas.
Dan Brown fans, this is the water clue. Since you will ask, the Bernini Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (fire) is in the Santa Maria della Vittoria church. This is near the main train station. The Air clue is an angel blowing wind in the base of the monolith in St. Peter’s Square.
In the piazza, there are two smaller fountains at either end, one to Neptune. At the south end is a Moro (a Moor) wrestling a dolphin.
On the west side, the ornate Baroque church with the dome is Sant’Agnese in Agone. To its left is the Palazzo Pamphili which you can tour.
Rome’s Piazza Summary.
Are these all the piazzas in Rome? Hardly. There are more than twenty with piazzas in the name, and who knows how many smaller squares.
Did we cover all the sites in Old Rome? Once again, that’s a big no.
We did not touch the Campo di Fiori, The Curia of Pompey, the Mausoleum of Augustus, or the Jewish ghetto. Just to name a few.
However, your feet are going to be ready for a rest after just this walk. And then you need to do it again at twilight as they illuminate the sites. It’s a whole different Rome.
There are so many ways, (themes) for seeing Rome. Perhaps touring Rome’s piazzas is the way for you.
Read more about Rome.
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“Where would you like to wander in Old Rome?
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.