Piazzas and Highlights of the Campus Martius

This tour starts along the Via dei Coronari, just in front of the famous Castle Sant'Angelo.

Coronari means rosary, and the street is named after the rosaries that shops sold to visitors on their way to the Varican to visit St. Peter's tomb. St. Pater was the first bishop of Rome and died in A.D. 67 after being crucified in the Circus Vaticanus. He is buried on Vatican Hill in St. Peter's Basilica and is believed to be the owner the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

This area is filled with houses with ancient fronts and beautiful small streets, perfect for discovering the old city of Rome at your own pace.

The Piazza Navona is a large public square surrounded by stores and restaurants and one of the more crowded areas in the city. It was built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian (which was built in the first century), which was the home of athletic games for many years. The circus (circle or ring) was surrounded by bars and packed with prostitutes to entertain the Romans as they watched the games. Women slaves were exhibited entirely naked, but higher-class prostitutes had private halls with paintings at the entrance depicting them.

The piazza seen today was built in the 16th century. At the end of the piazza you will find the ancient "speaking" statue. Erected in 1501, Romans could leave lampoons attached to the statue.

Pope Innocent X decided to build the central fountain, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of Four Rivers) in 1651 and chose Bernini to design it. The fountain represents the Nile, the Ganges, the Danaube and the Rio de la Plata.

The Pantheon was built on the order of Emperor Hadrian between 118 and 128, and was dedicated to Mars and Venus during Antiquity; it later became a Christian church with Santa Maria of the Angels and Martyrs in 609.

Beyond the Pantheon you will find a sculpture of an elephant supporting an obelisk. This obelisk was carved in 600 B.C. and was imported from Egypt during the first century to decorate a Roman temple. During the 17th century, Le Bernin placed the obelisk on an elephant. The Latin inscription on it means: "This obelisk, symbol of the Egyptian science, is supported by the strongest ever animal, as the knowledge belongs to the stronger soul."

The visit is free and usually lasts about 20 minutes.

The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. It was built in the Baroque style between 1626 and 1650 and was inspired by the Jesuit mother church, the Church of the Gesù in Rome (finished in the late 16th century).

The luxurious appearance of this church is due to the colored marble, the stucco sculptures and trompe l'oeil paintings in the pseudo-cupola and in the nave ceiling.

Erected in 176, this huge column depicts the victories of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180). This column is still at the same place where it was first erected. It is exactly 100 Roman feet high (about 29 meters). In 1581 it was renovated by Pope Sixtus V, who added a spiral staircase inside to reach the top.

Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous in the world. According to legend, if a visitor throws a coin in the fountain, he or she will be sure to return to Rome. Other legends claim that two coins will lead to a new romance and that drinking water in the small fountain on the left will ensure your lover's faithfulness. About 3,000 euros are thrown in the fountain each day; the money is used to help Rome's less fortunate.

In 19 B.C. the Romans built aqueducts that supplied water to Rome and to the "thermae" of the Pantheon. The spring is located about 20 kilometers away from the fountain and its site was revealed to the Romans by a young virgin (this scene is depicted on the upper right sculpture). It took more than 20 years to build the fountain during the 18th century. The main statue in the center is of Tritons (sea gods) guiding a shell chariot, taming sea horses.

This world-famous stairway leads to the church Trinità dei Monti built in 1725 by the king of France. The place long has been a Spanish possession since the Spanish embassy was buit near it in the 17th century.

Barcaccia Fountain, in the shape of a half-sunken ship, was built during the 18th century by Bernini's father with the help of his son.

This busy and fashionable street is the equivalent of London's Bond Street or New York's Fifth Avenue.

Caffé Greco, the most famous café in Rome, was built at Via Condotti 84 in 1760 and attracted figures such as Stendhal, Goethe, Byron and Liszt. Today it is a great place for a coffee break or to have something to eat.
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Caffe Greco
Phone: 066 791700
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Hours
Open Daily 9am-8pm