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Called the “Campo Marzio” (Field of Mars), this time-burnished district is the city’s most beautiful neighborhood. Set between the Via del Corso and the Tiber bend, it’s filled with narrow streets bearing curious names, airy piazzas, and half-hidden courtyards. Some of Rome’s most coveted residential addresses are nestled here. So, too, are the ancient Pantheon and the Renaissance square of Campo de’ Fiori, but the spectacular, over-the-top Baroque monuments of the 16th and 17th centuries predominate.
The hub of the district is the queen of squares, Piazza Navona—a cityscape adorned with the most eye-knocking fountain by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, father of the Baroque. Streets running off the square lead to many historic must-sees, including noble churches by Borromini and Caravaggio’s greatest paintings at San Luigi dei Francesi. This district has been an integral part of the city since ancient times, and its position between the Vatican and Lateran palaces, both seats of papal rule, put it in the mainstream of Rome’s development from the Middle Ages onward. Craftsmen, shopkeepers, and famed artists toiled in the shadow of the huge palaces built to consolidate the power of leading figures in the papal court. Artisans and artists still live here, but their numbers are diminishing as the district becomes increasingly posh and—so critics say—“Disneyfied.” But three of the liveliest piazzas in Rome—Piazza Navona, Piazza della Rotonda (home to the Pantheon), and Campo de’ Fiori—are lodestars in a constellation of some of Rome’s most authentic cafés, stores, and wine bars.
Getting Here
To bus it from Termini rail station or the Vatican, take the No. 40 Express or the No. 64 and get off at Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, a two-minute stroll from either Campo de’ Fiori or Piazza Navona, or take little electric No. 116 from Via Veneto to Campo de’ Fiori. Buses Nos. 87 and 571 link the area to the Forum and Colosseum. Tram No. 8 runs from Largo Argentina to Trastevere.
Top Attractions
Campo de’ Fiori.
A bustling marketplace in the morning (Mon.–Sat. 8 am–1 pm) and a trendy meeting place the rest of the day (and night), this piazza has plenty of earthy charm. By sunset, all the fish, fruit, and flower vendors disappear and this so-called piazza trasformista takes on another identity, bar-life bulging out into the street, one person’s carousal another’s insomnia (for the full scoop, see our special photo feature, “Life is a Piazza”).
Brooding over the piazza is a hooded statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake here in 1600 for heresy. His was the first of the executions that drew Roman crowds to Campo de’ Fiori in the 17th century. | Junction of Via dei Baullari, Via Giubbonari, Via del Pellegrino, and Piazza della Cancelleria,
Campo | 00186.
Fodor’s Choice |
Palazzo Altemps.
Containing some of the finest ancient Roman statues in the world, this collection formerly formed the core of the Museo Nazionale Romano. As of 1995, it was moved to these new, suitably grander digs. The palace’s sober exterior belies a magnificence that appears as soon as you walk into the majestic courtyard. Set within some gorgeously frescoed, 16th-century rooms are an array of noted antiquities. Look for two works from the famed Ludovisi collection: the Ludovisi Throne, a sensual rendering of the birth of Venus (as the goddess is pulled from the water, garments cling to her body in a way that leaves little to the imagination), and Galata suicida con la moglie, a poignant work portraying a barbarian warrior who chooses death for himself and his wife rather than humiliation by the enemy. | Piazza Sant’Apollinare 46,
Navona | 00186 | 06/39967700 | www.pierreci.it | €10, includes other 3 venues of Museo Nazionale Romano (Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Massimo, Museo Diocleziano) | Tues.–Sun. 9–7:45 (ticket office closes 1 hr before).
Fodor’s Choice |
Palazzo Farnese.
The most beautiful Renaissance palace in Rome, the Palazzo Farnese is fabled for the Galleria Carracci, whose ceiling is to the Baroque age what the Sistine ceiling is to the Renaissance. The Farnese family rose to great power and wealth during the Renaissance, in part because of the favor Pope Alexander VI showed to the beautiful Giulia Farnese. The massive palace was begun when, with Alexander’s aid, Giulia’s brother became cardinal; it was further enlarged on his
election as Pope Paul III in 1534. The uppermost frieze decorations and main window overlooking the piazza are the work of Michelangelo, who also designed part of the courtyard, as well as the graceful arch over Via Giulia at the back. The facade on Piazza Farnese has recently been cleaned, further revealing geometrical brick configurations that have long been thought to hold some occult meaning. When looking up at the palace, try to catch a glimpse of the splendid frescoed
ceilings, including the Galleria Carracci vault painted by Annibale Carracci between 1597 and 1604. The Carracci gallery depicts the loves of the gods, a supremely pagan theme that the artist painted in a swirling style that announced the birth of the Baroque. Other opulent salons are among the largest in Rome, including the Salon of Hercules, which has an overpowering replica of the ancient Farnese Hercules front and
center. For the first time, the French Embassy, which occupies the palace, now offers weekly tours in English; be sure to book in advance (at least eight days ahead is necessary in any case). Book online at www.inventerrome.com. | French Embassy, Servizio Culturale,
Piazza Farnese 67,
Campo | 00186 | 06/686011 | visite-farnese@inventerrome.it | €5 | Open only to tours. English tour is Wed. at 3.
Palazzo Spada.
An impressive stuccoed facade on Piazza Capo di Ferro, southeast of Piazza Farnese, fronts a sedate inner courtyard. On the southeast side of the inner courtyard, the gallery designed by Borromini (historians now say it was conceived by an Augustinian priest, Giovanni Maria da Bitonto) creates an elaborate optical illusion, appearing to be much longer than it really is. On the second floor there are paintings and sculptures that belonged to Cardinale Bernardino Spada,
an art connoisseur who collected works by Italian and Flemish masters. | Piazza Capo di Ferro 13,
Campo | 00186 | 06/6874893, 06/8555952
guided tours,
06/6832409
information and ticket booking | www.galleriaborghese.it | €5 | Tues.–Sun. 8:30–7:30.
Going Baroque
Flagrantly emotional, heavily expressive, and visually sensuous, the 17th-century artistic movement known as Baroque was born in Rome. It was the creation of three geniuses: the sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), the painter and architect Pietro da Cortona (1596–1669), and the architect and sculptor Francesco Borromini (1599–1667). From the drama found in the artists’ works to the jewel-laden, gold-on-gold detail of 17th-century Roman palaces, the Baroque style was intended both to shock and delight by upsetting the placid, “correct” rules of proportion and scale of the Renaissance. If a building looks theatrical—like a stage or a theater, especially with curtains being drawn back—it’s usually Baroque. Look for over-the-top, curvaceous marble work, trompe l’oeils, allusions to other art, and high drama to identify the style. Baroque’s appeal to the emotions made it a powerful weapon in the hands of the Counter-Reformation.
Fodor’s Choice |
Pantheon.
One of Rome’s most impressive and best-preserved ancient monuments, the Pantheon is particularly close to the hearts of Romans. The emperor Hadrian had it built around AD 120 on the site of an earlier temple that had been damaged by fire. Although the sheer size of the Pantheon is impressive (it’s still the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built), what’s most striking is its tangible sense of harmony. In large part this feeling is the result of the building’s
symmetrical design: at 43.3 meters (142 feet), the height of the dome is equal to the diameter of the circular interior. The “eye of heaven” oculus, or hole in the dome, is open to the skies, illuminating the heavy stone dome. Originally, the dome was covered in bronze plates that would have reflected beams of sunlight, creating a celestial glow. Centuries of plunder by emperors and popes have stripped most of the bronze ornamentation, though the original bronze doors have
survived more than 1,800 years. Art lovers can pay homage to the tomb of Raphael, who is buried in an ancient sarcophagus under the altar of Madonna del Sasso. | Piazza della Rotonda,
Navona | 00186 | 06/68300230 | Free; audio guides €5 suggested donation | Mon.–Sat. 8:30–7:30, Sun. 9–6 | Station: Closest bus hub: Argentina (buses 40, 85, 53, 46, 64, 87, 571, tram 8).
Piazza Navona.
With its carefree air of the days when it was the scene of Roman circus games, medieval jousts, and 17th-century carnivals, the spectacularly beautiful Piazza Navona today often attracts fashion photographers on shoots and Romans out for their passeggiata (evening stroll). Bernini’s splashing Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), with an enormous rock squared off by statues representing the
four corners of the world, makes a fitting centerpiece. Behind the fountain is the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, an outstanding example of baroque architecture built by the Pamphilj Pope Innocent X. The facade—a wonderfully rich mélange of bell towers, concave spaces, and dovetailed stone and marble—is by Borromini, a contemporary and rival of Bernini, and by Carlo Rainaldi (1611–91). One story has it that the Bernini statue nearest the
church, which represents the River Plate, has its hand up before its eye because it can’t bear the sight of the Borromini facade. Though often repeated, the story is fiction: the facade was built after the fountain. From December 8 through January 6, a Christmas market fills the square with games, Nativity scenes (some well crafted, many not), and multiple versions of the Befana, the ugly but good witch who brings candy and toys to Italian children on Epiphany. (Her name is a
corruption of the Italian word for “epiphany,” Epifania.) | Junction of Via della Cuccagna, Corsia Agonale, Via di Sant’Agnese, and Via Agonale | 00186.
Fodor’s Choice |
San Luigi dei Francesi.
The official church of Rome’s French community and a pilgrimage spot for art lovers everywhere, San Luigi is home to the Cappella Contarelli, adorned with three stunningly dramatic works by Caravaggio (1571–1610). Set in the last chapel in the left aisle, they were commissioned by Cardinal Matthieu Cointrel (in Italian, Contarelli) and perfectly embody the baroque master’s heightened approach to light and dark. The inevitable coin machine
will light up his Calling of St. Matthew, Matthew and the Angel, and Matthew’s Martyrdom, seen from left to right, and Caravaggio’s mastery of light and shadow takes it from there. When painted, they caused considerable consternation to the clergy of San Luigi, who thought the artist’s dramatically realistic approach was scandalously disrespectful. But these paintings did to 17th-century art what Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon did to the 20th century. | Piazza San Luigi dei Francesi,
Navona | 00186 | 06/688271 | Weekdays 10–12:30 and 3–7 (closed Thurs. afternoon).
Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
Michelangelo’s Christ the Redeemer and the tomb of the gentle 15th-century artist Fra Angelico are two noted sights in the only Gothic-style church in Rome. Have some coins handy to light up the Cappella Carafa in the right transept, where exquisite 15th-century frescoes by Filippino Lippi (circa 1457–1504) are well worth the small investment. Historians believe that Botticelli apprenticed under Lippi during
this time. In front of the church is one of Rome’s best photo ops, Bernini’s charming elephant bearing an Egyptian obelisk; an inscription on the memorial’s base states that it takes a strong mind to sustain solid wisdom. | Piazza della Minerva,
Navona | 00186 | 06/6793926 | Weekdays 8–7, weekends 8–12:30 and 3:30–7.
Fodor’s Choice |
Via Giulia.
Named after Pope Julius II and serving for more than five centuries as the “salon of Rome,” this street—running between Piazza Farnese and the Tiber—is still the address of choice for Roman aristocrats and rich foreigners. Built at the turn of the 16th century, the street is lined with elegant palaces, including the Palazzo Falconieri, old churches (one, Sant’Eligio, reputedly designed by Raphael himself), and, in springtime, glorious hanging wisteria. The area around
Via Giulia is a wonderful place to wander in to get the feeling of daily life as carried on in a centuries-old setting—an experience enhanced by the dozens of antiques shops in the neighborhood. | Between Piazza dell’Oro and Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti,
Campo | 00186.
Worth Noting
Sant’Andrea della Valle.
Topped by the second-tallest dome in Rome (after St. Peter’s), this huge 17th-century church looms mightily over a busy intersection. Puccini set the first act of his opera Tosca here; fans have been known to hire a horse-drawn carriage at night to trace the course of the opera from Sant’Andrea up Via Giulia to Palazzo Farnese—Scarpia’s headquarters—to the locale of the opera’s climax, Castel Sant’Angelo. Inside, above the apse, are striking
frescoes depicting scenes from Saint Andrew’s life by the Bolognese painter Domenichino (1581–1641). | Piazza Vidoni 6,
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II,
Campo | 00186 | 06/6861339 | Weekdays and Sat. 7:30–noon and 4:30–7:30; Sun. 7:30–12:45 and 4:30–7:45.
Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza.
Borromini’s eccentric 17th-century church has what must surely be Rome’s most unusual dome—topped by a softly molded spiral said to have been inspired by a beehive. Visit during the limited opening hours for a glimpse of Borromini’s manic genius, an undulating white stucco interior bathed in gleaming daylight. | Corso Rinascimento 40,
Navona | 00186 | 06/6864987 | Sun. 9–noon | Station: Bus 130, 116, 186, 492, 30, 70, 81, or 87.
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