The Fontana del Mascherone is defined by a large, wide-eyed marble mask attached to a wall on Via Giulia, near the back of Palazzo Farnese. The fountain features the mask as its centerpiece, with water flowing from the carving’s mouth into…
Via Giulia Walk
This self-guided walk leads you down Rome's historic Via Giulia, showcasing elegant Renaissance palaces, centuries-old churches, and curious monuments. It is an ideal stroll for experiencing a quieter, incredibly artistic side of the city's history.
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1. Fontana del Mascherone
2. Palazzo Farnese
The Palazzo Farnese is a massive, rectangular block of brick and travertine that dominates its namesake piazza with a heavy, projecting cornice. Commissioned by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese—who later became Pope Paul III—the building…
3. Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Orazione e morte
The Church of Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte is marked by carved stone skulls and winged hourglasses that frame the entrance on Via Giulia. Built in seventeen thirty-four by the architect Ferdinando Fuga, the church served as the base…
4. Palazzo Falconieri
Palazzo Falconieri stands on Via Giulia, defined by two colossal Baroque herms at the ends of its façade. Each of these sculptures features a female bust that terminates upward in the head of a falcon, a direct heraldic reference to the…
5. Ministero della Giustizia - Direzione Nazionale Antimafia e Antiterrorismo
The building at number fifty-two on Via Giulia is a long, heavy structure that occupies the site of the Carceri Nuove, or New Prisons, commissioned by Pope Innocent the Tenth in sixteen fifty-five. Designed by the architect Antonio del…
6. Basilica di San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini
The Basilica of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini is distinguished by a slender brick and stucco dome that Romans have long nicknamed the sucked sugared almond. This church sits near a bend in the Tiber River at the end of Via Giulia,…