Piazza del Popolo

We’re now at one of Rome’s most popular squares: the Piazza del Popolo, that is, the People’s Square. Yet the name actually comes from the poplar trees all around it. It was built between 1811 and 1822, and welcomed visitors arriving in the city through the famous Porta del Popolo before you. The gate was built atop the remains of the earlier Porta Flaminia, which was part of Hadrian’s city walls. If you walk through it, you’ll see that on the other side there’s an inscription that reads “For a happy and blessed entrance.” The inner façade was later decorated by Bernini, on the occasion of the upcoming visit of Queen Christina of Sweden. Right next door, you’ll find the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, where you can admire works by the famous artist Caravaggio, as well as some mosaics by Raphael inside the Chigi Chapel, depicting the creation of the world. On the opposite side of the square, you’ll find the surprisingly identical churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. And then, of course, there’s the obelisk in the center as per usual. In the days of Ramses II, this 36-meter-high edifice covered in hieroglyphics adorned the temple of Ra, the Egyptian sun god, in the city of Heliopolis. It was brought back by Emperor Augustus to be installed in the Circus Maximus, and was then relocated here by Pope Sixtus V. The two massive fountains on either side of the square are also worth a look. On one side is the Fountain of Neptune, depicting the Roman god of the sea holding his trident, flanked by two tritons, that is, fish-tailed Greek divinities. On the opposite side, there’s the Fountain of the Goddess of Rome, with a figure representing the founding of the city standing above a giant scallop shell. She is surrounded by two male statues representing Rome’s two rivers, the Tiber and the Aniene. At her feet, you’ll see none other than the Capitoline She-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus – a nod to the legend of the founding of Rome.