Duration: 2 hours
Via del Corso, Piazza Colonna, Colonna di Marco Aurelio, Piazza di Pietra, Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna, Trinità dei Monti
Rome is the capital of the world! This place is where the history of the whole world comes together, and I count on being born a second time, on being truly risen, the day I set foot in Rome. Her beauties have gradually raised me up to their level.
Along the street known as Via del Corso, which links Piazza Venezia with Piazza del Popolo, there is a wealth of points of interest for those who visit the city. We’ll take a pleasant walk along what was once known as Via Lata (broad way: the Romans held their Carnival celebrations here, and today it is the heart of Rome’s shopping district. Along this street we’ll have the chance to admire beautiful buildings such as the Palazzo Doria (with the Doria Pamphilij Gallery), the church of San Marcello, the Alberto Sordi Gallery (once Galleria Colonna), the church of Santa Maria in Via, the Palazzo Ruspoli (with the Fondazione Memmo Museum), the church of San Carlo al Corso and finally Piazza Colonna, a beautiful square with 16th building century Palazzo Chigi, seat of the Italian government and house of the Prime Minister. The square takes its name after the majestic Roman column in its center. The column is 30 meters high and depicts the victory of Marcus Aurelius over the Germans.
Beyond the square we will see the remains of what must have been a temple to the emperor Hadrian in one of the most mysterious and fascinating squares in Rome, Piazza di Pietra (literally “Piazza of Stone”).
One cannot walk along these roads without stopping to see one of the most famous fountains ever sculpted: The Trevi fountain. This legendary fountain lies against a side of Palazzo Poli. The story goes that if you throw a coin over our shoulder into the fountain, you can rest assured you’ll come back to Rome in the future. The origin of this tradition is not known, but it is thought to derive from the wishing well tradition (walls where people would throw offerings to ingratiate the local divinity). The Trevi fountain’s history trickles down into modernity and transforms it into a pop symbol. Who doesn’t remember the iconic scene where Anita Ekberg lures “Marcello” into entering the fountain (“La Dolce Vita”)?
After another brief walk along the luxury shopping street, Via Condotti, we will end up in the most iconic of squares, Piazza di Spagna, where time seems to have stopped in the 18th century. This used to be a meeting point for intellectuals, painters and man of letters from all over Europe. Some of them have left a tangible trace behind them, such as the English poet John Keats, who lived in the house right next to the Spanish steps, the metaphysical painted Giorgio Morandi, whose workshop overlooked the square, and Italian poet Cesare Pavese who wrote the memorable poem about it: “Passerò per Piazza di Spagna” (I will walk through Piazza di Spagna). You will be left speechless by such beauty and you’ll have the chance to ascend those 135 steps to the famous church of Trinità dei Monti. It will truly feel like you are walking in a 19th-century painting.