Italy Day 10 – Heart of Rome Twilight Walking Tour

During the tour we crossed three major streets extending out from Piazza del Popolo and the obelisk visible there.
– 1st along Via del Babuino (east)
– 2nd Via del Corso (center)
– 3rd Via di Ripetta (west)

Spanish Steps

  • Started in the Piazza di Spagna, at the foot of the Spanish Steps (which are not Spanish) near Babington’s Tea Room

Fontana della Barcaccia (Baroque Fountain by the Spanish Steps)

  • The pope created a fountain where a ship came to rest during a flood

Colonna dell Immacolata (Corinthian column and Virgin Mary statue)

  • A wreath is placed atop the column each year
  • Next to the Spanish embassy
  • From here you can see the first McDonald’s in Italy (on Via dei Due Macelli)
    • Italians gave food away to discourage people from eating at McD

Walked south on Via di Propaganda one block

Basilica Sant’Andrea delle Fratte (Baroque church with celebrated angels)

  • We poked heads inside to see extravagant decorations which are in contrast to the exterior building design

Walked south on Via di Sant’Andrea delle Fratte one block

Free Fountain

  • Located on north side of Largo del Nazareno (Nazarene Square)

Renaissance Palace

  • Located on south side of Largo del Nazareno (Nazarene Square)
  • Horses, great room, bedrooms, servant quarters (?)

Walked east on Via del Nazareno half a block

Aqueduct

  • We could see ruins of aqueduct foundation

Walked southeast two blocks onto Via della Panetteria

Gelato di San Crispino

  • Stoped for gelato

Walked south to corner of Via della Panetteria and Via del Lavatore

Bakery and Laundry

  • Told about the quarter (or section of town) doing business for wealthy palaces
  • Panetteria = Bread, Bakery
  • Lavatore = Washing, Laundry

*Walked southwest on Via del Lavatore one block

Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain)

  • Across from Chiesa dei Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Trevi (Church of Saints Vincent and Anastasius in Trevi)

Exited northwest on Via Poli

Piazza Crociferi

  • A small piazza across from Trevi Fountain, but a completely different (relaxed) vibe

Walked west on Piazza die Crociferi one block

Galleria

  • A mall built in the 1800’s
  • Walked through, to the west, exiting onto Via del Corso (the middle street extending from the obelisk)

Walked across Via del Corso

Colonna di Marco Aurelio (Column of Marcus Arelius)

  • Roman victory column showing pictorial exploits of his conquests
  • Statue taken down and replaced with a pope’s
  • Napoleon wanted this but it is hollow and was told it wouldn’t survive the trip so he built one out of metal

Walked west on Via della Colonna Antonina one block

Piazza di Monte Citorio

  • Contains the Obelisk of Montecitorio and Palazzo Montecitorio, now the Camera dei Deputati (Chamber of Deputies), the lower house of the Italian Parliament

Walked west on Via in Aquiro one block

Piazza Capranica

Walked southwest on Via degli Orfani one block

Piazza della Rotonda and the Pantheon

*Walked out the northwest corner of Piazza della Rotonda and north on Via della Rosetta one block, then west into Piazza Rondanini and onto Via del Pozzo delle Cornacchie one block, which turns into Largo Giuseppe Toniolo and north side of Piazza di San Luigi de’ Francesi

Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi (Church of St Louis of the French)

  • The church is on the southwest side of Piazza di San Luigi de’ Francesi
  • My notes say the French Embassy is here, but it actually seems to be several blocks west

*Walked north one block on Via della Scrofa (which turns into Via di Ripetta, the western street extending from the obelisk) then west on Via di S. Agostino and on to Piazza di Tor Sanguigna

Stadio di Domiziano (Stadium of Domitian)

  • We saw the entrance to this ancient stadium which is 20 feet below the modern city
  • The stadium was located under the present Piazza Navona
  • Also known as the Circus Agonalis

Corte Suprema di Cassazione (Supreme Court)

  • Looking northwest along Via Giuseppe Zanardelli we saw the supreme court building which is across the River Tiber

Walked soutwest on Via di Tor Sanguina one block onto Largo Febo and Via di Santa Maria dell’Anima

Santa Maria dell’Anima (St. Mary of the Soul)

  • The church, on the western corner of Via di Santa Maria dell’Anima and Vicolo della Pace (Alley of Peace), has a colorful spire (viewable looking down Vicolo della Pace)

Walked east on Via dei Lorenesi one block

Piazza Navona

  • Entered on the northwest corner directly in front of the Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune)
    • A dog took a dip
  • In the middle of the piazza is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) across from the Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone (Church of Saint Agnes at the Circus Agonalis (remember Piazza sits atop the the Circus Agonalis ruins))
  • At the bottom of the piazza is the Fontana del Moro (Fountain of the Moor) across from the Palazzo Pamphilj (also Palazzo Pamphili)
  • Palazzo Pamphilj currently home to the Brazilian Embassy
    • Previously home of Pope Innocent X’s sister-in-law, Olimpia Maidalchini
      • She is largely accepted to be the power behind the pope; appointing cardinals and negotiating with foreign powers
      • She supported many feminist causes; used church money to allow prostitutes not to work when sick, reducing illnesses
      • Tour guide claimed she had a chariot car wash in the piazza so she could watch naked men washing (I can’t find any supporting evidence)

Exited to the south on to Via della Cuccagna one block to Piazza di San Pantaleo, then southwest on Via Dei Baullari (past the pizza shop we stoped at later) two blocks

Campo de’ Fiori

  • Lots of good restaurants

Walked out the southeast corner of Campo de’ Fiori and southwest on Via dei Balestrari for two blocks

Piazza della Quercia (Oak Square)

  • Small square that gets its name from the oak tree in the center

Walked northwest on Vicolo dei Venti (Alley of the Winds) one block

Piazza Farnese

  • Palazzo Farnese on the soutwest side is the French embassy
  • End of tour

We walked northeast on Via Dei Baullari (stoped to get pizza) and onto Piazza di San Pantaleo

Piazza di San Pantaleo

  • We ate our pizza on the steps of the Monument to Marco Minghetti
  • We could see the dome of Basilica di Sant’Andrea della Valle (Basilica of Saint Andrew of the Valley) two blocks east along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (which leads to the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II, aka the wedding cake, north of the Roman Forum)