Spanish Steps and the Trident

The most striking feature of Piazza di Spagna is the monumental staircase of one hundred thirty-five steps that climbs the hill toward the twin-towered church of Trinità dei Monti. Known as the Spanish Steps, this eighteenth-century…

Trinità dei Monti is recognizable by its two symmetrical bell towers, a feature that distinguishes it from almost every other church silhouette in Rome. Perched on the Pincian Hill, the church serves as the crown of the Spanish Steps,…

The Villa Medici sits on the Pincian Hill, defined by two towers connected by a terrace that overlooks the city. Originally a sixteenth-century Renaissance estate, the villa was acquired in fifteen seventy-six by Cardinal Ferdinando de'…

The Terrazza del Pincio is a wide, paved overlook lined with stone busts of historical Italian figures, situated on the edge of the Pincian Hill. From the stone balustrade, the terrace offers a view of the rooftops and domes of Rome,…

The Piazza del Popolo is distinguished by its vast, elliptical shape and the thirty-five-hundred-year-old Egyptian obelisk standing at its center. For centuries, this space served as the ceremonial gateway for travelers arriving in Rome…

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo is distinguished by its position at the northern corner of the Piazza del Popolo, wedged between the Pincian Hill and the Porta del Popolo, the city gate that served as the primary entry point for…

The Fontana del Babuino is recognizable by the weathered, life-size statue of a reclining Silenus, a mythological figure that is half man and half goat, tucked into a niche along the street. This fountain was built in fifteen eighty-one by…