Baroque & Renaissance

For centuries, this was the first sight greeting travelers entering Rome from the north through the ancient Porta Flaminia gate. The 3,200-year-old Egyptian obelisk in the center was brought from Heliopolis by Augustus and originally stood in the Circus Maximus. The twin churches (Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto) flanking the southern entrance to Via del Corso look identical but aren't — one is oval, the other circular, an optical illusion by architect Carlo Rainaldi. Napoleon commissioned the piazza's current neoclassical design in 1816.

Climb the steps to the Pincio Terrace above the piazza for one of Rome's most famous sunset viewpoints — the dome of St. Peter's glows golden in the evening light.

135 steps connecting Piazza di Spagna at the base with the French church Trinità dei Monti at the top, built in 1725 to link the Spanish embassy to the church above. Despite the name, they were funded by a French diplomat. The area was the center of Rome's Grand Tour scene in the 18th and 19th centuries — Keats lived and died in the pink house at the foot of the steps (now a museum). The Barcaccia fountain at the base, shaped like a half-sunken boat, was designed by Bernini's father. Since 2019, sitting on the steps is technically prohibited and can result in a fine.

Via dei Condotti at the base is Rome's most exclusive shopping street — Bulgari, Gucci, and Prada all have their flagship stores here.