Squares
Together with the treasures found in the city’s churches and palaces, Rome’s squares offer the tourist a great deal to admire. These are areas of magnificent scenery, the work and design of the most illustrious architects of the age. Some of the most famous include:
The trapezoid Piazza del Campidoglio on the hill of the same name, whose current form is the work of Michelangelo, overlooked by Palazzo Senatorio, flanked by Palazzo dei Conservatori to the left and Palazzo Nuovo to the right.
Piazza Colonna, which takes its name from the colossal Column of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and which is the seat of political power, with Palazzo Chigi, home of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Palazzo Montecitorio, home of the Chamber of Deputies.
Campo de' Fiori, where the characteristic market of the area has been held since 1869, lets you experience the warm atmosphere of daily life. Here on 17th February 1600 the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake and a monument to him is now found in the centre of the square. A feature of the square is that it is the only one in Rome that does not have any churches.
Piazza Navona, one of the most famous squares in the city, is situated on the site where the Emperor Domitian built a stadium for chariot races. The form of the square corresponds to the elongated form of the stadium, with one straight and one curved side. This striking space in the historic city centre contains three Baroque fountains, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) by Bernini in the centre and the Fontana del Moro (Fountain of the Moor) and Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) near the extremities.
St. Peter’s Square, in front of the Basilica, is one of the most beautiful squares in Rome. It is a uniquely suggestive place, amplified by an elliptical plan, with a Colonnade designed by Bernini, which was completed in 1667.
