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or visit www.turismoroma.itFor tourist information,cultural events and entertainment offered in Rome Piazza di Spagna Piazza San Pietro Piazza del Popolo Piazza diSpagna, one of the now arrive in Piazza di Spagna: domina-ted by the magnificent flight of traverti-ne steps leading up to the church ofTrinità dei Monti, while at the foot ofthe steps is the Fontana dellaBarcaccia, a fountain designed byPietro Bernini and his son in 1629. The Spanish Steps, a meeting pointfor tourists and Romans, changes its lookaccording to the season: in the spring theyare decorated all over with vases of colou-red azaleas, making a truly incrediblespectacle; in the summer the spectaclecontinues with fashion parades; and in thewinter they act as the backdrop for a veryinteresting Christmas crib. To the left of the piazza is Via delBabuino (whose name stems from thestatue there of a macaque, the guar-dian spirit of water and springs, whosehairy body has earned it the nicknameof Baboon), which leads to the maje-stic but sober-looking Piazza delPopolo. Situated at the head of a trian- Piazza delPopolo,from historyto concerts gle of roads called the TridentŽ (Via delBabuino, Via Condotti, Via di Ripetta),the piazza took about three centuriesto be constructed, due to the alterna-tion of various popes, and it owes itspresent aspect to the architectGiuseppe Valadier. In its centre is theEgyptian obelisk transferred from theCircus Maximus, while in the back-ground are the Twin churches datingfrom the second half of the 17th cen-tury. Piazza del Popolo is today a greatpedestrian area, where concerts andevents of all sorts are organized. Bicycle rides, museums, theatresand places for children await you immedia-tely you go through the Porta del Popolo, inthe green heart of Rome: Villa Borghese. (St. PetersSquare), Crossing the Tiber, we arrive in a citysquare that can absolutely not be mis-sed by anyone visiting Rome: Piazza SanPietro (St. Peters Square), the hub ofworld Christendom. With its splendidenveloping colonnade, the work ofBernini, the piazza is made all the moreimpressive by the majesty of theBasilica of St. Peters overlooking it,which is visited every year by millions ofpilgrims from all over the world. Every Sunday at midday a greatcrowd assembles in this piazza for theAngelus Dominiand to receive the Popesblessing when he appears at the window ofhis study. Naturally, you should not missalso a visit to the marvellous collections ofthe Vatican Museums. Piazza della Rotonda Piazza Navona Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina Pantheon the years this has always remainedone of the favourite meeting places ofRomans during Carnival, at Christmasand at Epiphany. According to tradition, 8 Decembermarks the start in the piazza of theChristmas market with all its artistic andmodern cribs, handicrafts and, naturally,confectionery. The market ends withEpiphany, the evening between 5 and 6January, when grown-ups and children alikeassemble to await the arrival of the Befana(a kindly old witch bringing gifts).(a kindly old witch bringing gifts).All you have to do is turn the corner,and you are in the antiquarians paradise:lamps, tables and desks are set out invitin-gly in the glittering shop windows of theantique dealers in Via dei Coronari. Andalso just a few steps from Piazza Navona isthe splendid Church of San Luigi deiFrancesi, where three of Caravaggiosmasterpieces may be admired. next brings us to the nearby Piazzadella Rotonda, where the Pantheonstands. This monument has comeunscathed, and the aspect that weadmire is that which it had in ancienttimes. Dedicated to all the gods, it hasno windows, just a single opening inthe vault of about 9 metres, this beingits only source of natural light.Through the centuries, the Pantheontomb: among others, here are thetombs of Vittorio Emanuele II and This is just the district for a coffeebreak: by tradition, we advise you to callin for coffee at the SantEustachio bar,which seems to be the best one in Rome.The secret? Try to discover it! While you are walking towards Piazzadi Spagna, especially if it is a lovelysunny day, you should really not missthe chance of visiting a little squarethat seems one from another age,considering it is only a few steps awayfrom the noisy confusion of Via delCorso: Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. Itis one of the loveliest piazza-salonsŽin the city, a typical rendezvous for anaperitif in one of the various bars withtables in the open. Comfortably sea-ted, you can better enjoy the view ofthe church of the same name, insidewhich is the Cappella Fonseca, desi-gned by Bernini. A short stroll along Via del Corso,Via Frattina and Via Condotti will enableyou to discover a lot of shops, luxury bou-tiques and workshops of artists, filling thestreets of this very central area of Rome,reaching as far as the Piazza di Spagna. Feeling satisfied with these discoveries,and with our pockets a bit emptier, we San Lorenzoin Lucina, aof time Campo de Fiori de Fiori: market by day, Our promenade starts from one of themost fashionable piazzas of the capi-tal: Campo de Fiori. The open-air mar-ket, in the morning, and the eveningattractions of the bars and the restau-rants of the area, the crowds of youngpeople thronging them especially inthe warm season, make this piazzaalways full of life. The lively, noisyatmosphere one breathes in this piaz-za contrasts with the austere statueof Giordano Bruno, who was burnedat the stake precisely here. There are many little shops andworkshops where you can linger in the lit-tle lanes of the area. You just have to cross Corso VittorioEmanuele II and you will find yourselfin Piazza Navona. Established on theashes of the Circo di Domiziano (Circusof Domitian), where athletics competi-tions, games and horse races tookplace, today it is one of the most ele-gant and lively piazzas of Rome.Surrounded by bars with their littleoutside tables, shops and restaurants,the piazza has three splendid fountainsincluding that of the Quattro Fiumi(Four Rivers), for which Bernini wascommissioned on the occasion of theJubilee of 1650. The fountain repre-sents the Ganges, the symbol of Asiaholding an oar; the Danube symbolizingEurope, sitting by a horse; the Rio de laPlata, symbolizing the Americas, with araised arm; and the Nile, symbolizingAfrica, with a veiled head. The central statue of the fountain islooking towards the Church of Sant'Agnesein Agone with a gesture of repugnance (itsarm raised to cover its eyes): according tolegend, Bernini had accomplished this as asign of contempt for Borromini, the desi-gner of the church and his great rival. Piazza Navona is enlivened every dayby many artists who with their art suc-ceed in just a few minutes in capturingsions of those being depicted. Through history, Piazza Navona The piazzas of Rome: meeting places,places of exchange, of prayer, at timesnoisy, at times romantic, undoubtedlyalways evocative and fascinating, enrichthe city with their beauty and their PIEGHEVOLI DEFINITIVI INGLESE 6 ant MODIF_Layout 1 26/11/10 09.05 Pagina 4