Piazza di Spagna and the most elite boutiques of Rome. Italy
The city of Rome personifies the architectural and spiritual values of humanity. The streets of the capital of Italy are filled with ancient ruins, Christian basilicas, beautiful palaces and baroque squares. One of the most popular places in Rome is Piazza di Spagna.
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The fall of the powerful Roman Empire led to the formation of fragmented powers on the Apennine Peninsula. The Papal State was born in Rome, which later became a stronghold of the Catholic world. In military and political aspects, the country led by the Pope was a rather weak new formation. It was considered subject to the influence of the French and Spanish monarchs. The Papal States managed to skillfully maneuver between these two powers, providing them with quarters for their residences under the Holy See. From time immemorial, popes have gained political dividends from this.
In the 17th century, the residence of the Kingdom of Spain appeared on one of the streets of Rome. From then on, the area began to be called Spanish. Formally, the quarter was a French patrimony, because opposite the Spanish Embassy the Trinita dei Monti church rose on a hill.
It was founded by Louis XII at the beginning of the 16th century. Thus, two objects of irreconcilable rivals were located on the square at once. The historical area around the Spanish square became a guest quarter for foreigners visiting Rome. The wide street served for a long time as a parking lot for travelers' carriages. Leaving their carriages, the guests went to explore the city. Over time, luxury hotels, palaces, as well as expensive restaurants and shops were built on the square.
The spirit of mystical history hovers over Piazza di Spagna. According to legend, among the carefree and cheerful revelers, the ghost of the wife of the famous healer and adventurer Count Cagliostro, Lorenza Feliciani, appears. At one time, she accused her husband of witchcraft, after which he was imprisoned for life in a dungeon as a heretic. In prison, Cagliostro cursed his beloved.
Attractions
Plaza de España is filled with romance and amazes with luxury. In spring, the street is decorated with blooming azaleas. In winter, traditional Christmas celebrations take place here. There are interesting sights along the perimeter of the square. The pearl of the Spanish area is a wide staircase with concave travertine steps. Political as well as military confrontation between France and Spain prevented its construction for a long time. At the beginning of the 17th century, largely thanks to the intervention of Pope Clement XI, the monumental structure adorned the Piazza di Spagna. The staircase uniquely resolved the issue of reconciliation between the two kingdoms, connecting the territories of the Spanish Embassy and the French Church.
The steps of an elegant staircase lead to the Trinita dei Monti, which was built in 1585 under the supervision of the King of France. Louis XI wished in this way to celebrate the success of his army in Naples. The Gothic façade of the church consists of two bell towers topped with octagonal domes. Between the towers there is a balcony with a balustrade. A wide entrance, framed by pilasters and antique bas-reliefs, leads to the luxurious interior of the church. Six chapels, located among the arched arcades, are decorated with frescoes by famous Italian artists. Here you can see a unique sculptural composition called “The Descent from the Cross.”
In front of the temple stands the Obelisk of Sallustria. This thirty-meter granite monolith is a copy of ancient Egyptian obelisks, found during excavations in the garden of the ancient Roman historian Sallustria. In the center of Piazza di Spagna is the Barcaccia Fountain. The marble sculpture is made in the form of a half-sunken boat. In 1629, the architect Pietro Bernini immortalized the image of the ship in honor of the memory of the flood that occurred. Then the Tiber River overflowed its unfortified banks and flooded the streets of Rome. The fountain is decorated with beautiful relief compositions. The pool is filled with water from a drinking source.
In the southern part of the square rises a magnificent palace, considered a prominent representative of the Italian Baroque - “Palazzo di Propaganda Fide”. The façade is decorated with concave and even cornices. The window openings are framed by columns and an arched composition with relief ornaments. In the Middle Ages, the palace was a focal point for missionaries who were supposed to promote Christianity throughout the world.
In front of the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide there is an eleven-meter column, symbolizing the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. The marble monument was erected in the Plaza de España in 1854 under the protectorate of the Catholic Church. At the top of the tower is a bronze statue of the Madonna on a small ball. Under her feet you can see a defeated snake, personifying sin. The woman's right hand holds a natural wreath of white lilies, which is erected annually by crane on the day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (December 8). The pedestal of the column is framed by statues of Old Testament prophets.
Next to the stairs there is a real English tea room. It opened in Plaza de España in 1896 and has maintained its ceremonial tea drinking ritual ever since. In the traditional English interior of the establishment you can always enjoy exquisite and aromatic tea. On the adjacent street to the Spanish district is the legendary Café Greco, founded in 1760. Famous personalities liked to visit the coffee shop: Gogol, Chaliapin, Nietzsche, Goethe, Wagner and others. A street leading to Piazza di Spagna is lined with many boutiques from famous brands - Gucci, Bulgari and Valentino. Tourists from all over the world come here to shop for luxury clothing.
Where is it and how to get there
The square is located in the Campo Marzio area. You can get there by metro to Spagna station (red line). Bus number 119 runs through the entire city to Plaza España. This is quite a beautiful part of Rome, so exploring on foot is recommended.
And Trevi Fountain- one of the most important attractions in Rome. Located on the square is the famous ladder is one of the most popular tourist destinations in . The Romans themselves love this place, often choosing the Spanish Steps as a place for meetings and dates.
If you go to Plaza de España from the side, then the first object worthy of tourist attention will be Church of the Holy Trinity, which was built by the French at the end of the 16th century. This church is located at the very top of the Spanish Steps and is often photographed.
During the Middle Ages, Piazza di Spagna was the seat of the Spanish embassy at court. This is where the name of the square comes from. Palace of the Spanish Embassy dominated the entire area of Spain.
A little later, this place was chosen by the French, who built Pincio hill Church of the Holy Trinity.
History of the Spanish Steps
In the 17th century it was decided to build monumental staircase, along which it would be convenient for believers to climb to the Church of the Holy Trinity. The Spanish and French diasporas offered their own versions of the staircase design, and each side insisted on its own version, not wanting to give in to the other side. Eventually, the Pope intervened and decided to entrust the construction of the staircase to an architect Francesco de Sanctis.
In 1997 spanish steps was restored.
At the very foot of the stairs is the famous Barcaccia fountain, executed by Pietro Bernini.
One of the most chic streets in Rome begins from the fountain - Via dei Condotti, which houses some of the most expensive shops in the city.
And about 100 meters from the fountain there is the famous Cafe Greco, opened in 1760. At the end of the 18th century, Piazza di Spagna became a favorite place in Rome for traveling English aristocrats, who loved to sit with a cup of tea in this cafe.
There were such great people as Goethe And Schopenhaer, A Gogol I loved coming to this cafe while working on dead souls.
On the south side of Plaza España is Fide Palace, where missionaries were trained before being sent to pagan countries.
Also next to the square is located, installed in 1856 at the direction of Pope Pius IX.
This is one of the most famous fountains in the world. On the spot fountain Even in ancient times there was a spring that fed Rome with water.
Was built in the Baroque era by an architect Nicola Salvi. In the center of the fountain stands the figure of the god Neptune, who drives a cart pulled by a pair of sea horses. Next to Neptune are two statues that are symbols of luxury and health.
Piazza di Spagna and Trevi Fountain on the map of Rome
Piazza di Spagna is located relatively close to the Trevi Fountain, so on the first evening in Rome we decided to walk around the city at night and walk from Trevi to Piazza di Spagna. After 15 minutes we were already in one of the most picturesque squares in Rome. The square got its name from the Spanish embassy building located on it. In the center of the square is the famous Boat Fountain by Pietro Bernini, made together with his son, the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1627-1629). This is, indeed, a living and figurative embodiment of a sinking boat, with streams of water flowing from the stern and bow.
The fountain got its name “Barcaccia” (longboat) due to its shape of a half-submerged boat and was installed in memory of the flood that happened in 1598, when a boat ran aground in a flooded square. The fountain is supplied with water from the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct.
In the foreground is the Barcaccia Fountain, in the form of a boat, and in the distance near the Palace of Spain rises the marble “Column of the Immaculate”, embodying the idea of the Immaculate Conception and the figure of the Virgin Mary at the top of the monument. She stands on a ball and a crescent - symbols of the top of the world. Under her feet is a serpent, which since ancient times has been associated with original sin, but here it is defeated.
The pedestal of the column is also made of marble, with figures of the biblical prophets Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and the great King David installed on it. They not only decorate the column, but also serve as additional supports for it.
A wreath of flowers always hangs on the statue’s right hand. Moreover, it is not bronze or plastic, but real. Every year, on December 8, the Pope comes to this square with a wreath of fresh flowers. As a rule, these are white lilies - a symbol of purity. These flowers are placed on the hand of the Virgin Mary using a crane and there they hang for a whole year - until the next ceremony.
This column, dedicated to the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, was installed in Piazza di Spagna in 1854. Unlike the Christian Church, Catholics firmly believe that the Virgin Mary was also conceived outside of sin.
On this occasion, I remember the story of the guide in the Vatican. She cited the motto of Italian students: “Sin without conceiving, and conceiving without sin!”
Piazza di Spagna is also famous for its Spanish Steps, the steps of which rise up to Piazza Trinito dei Monti.
The Spanish Steps, built in Rome more than three centuries ago, is a famous architectural monument whose history can impress everyone. It received its name thanks to the idea of the French ambassador to Rome, Etienne Geffier, who proposed to connect the Trinita dei Monti church and the Spanish Square as a sign of the unbreakable union of the French and Spanish powers.
And this idea so captured the imagination of the representative of France that he decided to create a monumental structure at his own expense, which he announced in his will, allocating 20,000 crowns for the construction of the staircase.
The well-known Cardinal Mazarin also took part in the construction of the Spanish Steps, thanks to whom the top of the structure was crowned with a statue of Louis XIV. It is interesting that some documents that have come down to posterity since those times indicate the cardinal’s intention to realize the ambassador’s dream not in Rome, but in Italy. Having learned about this, the Pope was very angry at the mere thought that the top of Pincio Hill in Rome would be crowned with a statue of the French king. Of course, the staircase construction project was rejected, but only for a while.
Already in 1717, it was launched again, but the architectural ensemble itself was built according to the sketches of Francesco de Sanctis, an unknown architect at that time. The construction of the structure continued for two years and in 1725 the Spanish Steps appeared in Rome, but without the statue of Louis XIV: at the site of its supposed placement there are attributes of papal power - an eagle and a crown, as well as symbols of the royal house of Bourbon.
The construction begins in Piazza de Spagna, from the middle of which it rises up to the Pincio hill. The Spanish Steps are made of travertine and have 138 steps, each of which has a concave shape and different lengths. Designed by the architect de Sanctis, the building has only undergone one restoration, which was carried out in our time in 1997, and it seems that the second restoration is now taking place in 2016, since the staircase is closed to the public and we were not able to climb 138 steps. It’s a pity, we specially trained before our trip to Chisinau on our granite staircase near Komsomolskoye Lake, which has 218 steps.
If we managed to climb, then at the top of the Spanish Steps, in front of the Church of Trinita dei Monti, we would see the obelisk of Sallust. The dark obelisk is visible in the photo against the background of the white church.
The Obelisk of Sallust is an ancient Roman imitation of Egyptian designs, made during the era of the Empire. Then the obelisk was located in the luxurious gardens of Sallust, located north of the city. The Romans “copied” the hieroglyphs on it from an Egyptian prototype of the 13th century BC, which they brought from Heliopolis and installed in the Circus Maximus.
The obelisk of Sallust was damaged during the sack of Rome by the Goths in 410. And at the end of the 18th century Giovanni Antinori installed it in this place. In addition to the cross, the lily of the French kings was added to the bouquet on top of the obelisk.
This ended our walk through the night in Rome, and we took the metro to get to the hotel.
April, 2016
(Various Internet sources were used in writing this essay)
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Piazza di Spagna is one of the most famous squares in Rome. In addition, it is also one of the most beloved and popular places in the Eternal City among tourists. There are always a lot of people here, and at any time of the year.
The square got its name from the Spanish embassy in the Vatican located on it, which began operating in the 17th century. The embassy was housed in the building of the Palazzo Spagna (Palace of Spain), built in 1622.
Several hundred years ago, the Campo Marzion area, where the square is located, was the outskirts of Rome, and now it is part of the large historical center of the city.
Sights of Piazza di Spagna in Rome
The area has the shape of two unequal triangles.
In the northern part there is Spanish steps and the beautiful church of Trinita dei Monti. The Spanish Steps consist of 135 steps and are recognized throughout the world as one of the most beautiful staircases. Its opening took place in 1725 under Pope Benedict XIII, who held the ceremony. The staircase was built with the aim of connecting the Spanish Embassy, located below, with the Trinita dei Monti church at the top. The last restoration of the staircase was carried out in 1995.
How to get to Piazza di Spagna in Rome
The nearest metro stop near Plaza de España is called Spagna. You need metro line A.
For example, from San Pietro metro station you can take bus number 64 to Termini station, then change to metro line A and get off at Spagna station.
From the Colosseum you can take bus number 85 to the Trevi Fountain stop, and from there walk to Piazza di Spagna (less than 500 meters).
You can also use taxi services. You can order a car through the Uber app on your smartphone or use the services of one of the local companies (for example, Radio Taxi at 06-3570 or Pronto Taxi at 06-6645). But taxis in Italy, and especially in Rome, are expensive, one of the most expensive in Europe.
If you like to walk, then you can easily walk to Plaza de España from the main attractions of the city.
Below are the most popular routes from Rome's main attractions, St. Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum.
Walking route from St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican) to Piazza di Spagna:
Walking route from the Colosseum to Plaza de España:
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