Fontana del Nettuno
Piazza del Popolo is a famous square in Rome, Italy. The descriptions that follow rely heavily on Rick Steves' Rome (where his "La Dolce Vita" stroll starts) and Wikipedia.
We'll start with location. Piazza del Popolo is located just inside the Porta del Popolo (formerly Porta Flaminia). This was the northern entrance into medieval Rome.
Sidebar (already??): Porta Flaminia...marked the end of Via Flaminia, the ancient road that connected the Adriatic (going due north over the Apennines), and then along the Adriatic coast into central Europe.
There was once a German minister from Wittenberg who walked 700 miles down here in 1510 and came right through this gate...was shocked by the corruption he found in the city (an extension of the church), and promptly decided to begin a counterreformation. His name was Martin Luther.
I'm sure a handful of others have waked through these gates over time. Rome was the equivalent of Mecca for Christians and the pilgrims primarily arrived at this gate. There are a few more tourists than pilgrims at this point.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to the story of the piazza...
History:
Before getting to the 1475 facelift from Pope Sixtus IV.
The most interesting history here is centered around the church immediately to your left when you walk through the Porta del Popolo. This is Santa Maria del Popolo.
The church was originally founded/created/formed by Pope Paschal II in 1099 A.D. (What we get to look at now is a result of the Sistine restoration of the square in the 1470s; more on that to follow.)
The formation of this church has as much to do with Imperial Roman history and legend as anything.
Emperor Nero, after committing suicide, was buried in the mausoleum of his family at the foot of the Pincian Hill (guess what hill that is directly behind the east fountain?).
There was a landslide at one point, and the Domitii Ahenobarbi went down for the count. On top of it, a rather impressive walnut tree grew. The walnut tree, magnificent as it was, apparently came laden with "evil spirits." This wasn't the best thing to have as a first impression for visitors to your fine town.
So, as Wikipedia explains, "On the Thursday after the third Sunday in Lent in 1099, the Pope organized the entire clergy and populace of Rome in one impressive procession that, with the crucifix at its head, went along the urban stretch of the Via Flaminia until it reached the infested place. There, Paschal II performed the rite of exorcism and then struck the walnut tree with a determined blow to its root, causing the evil spirits to burst forth, madly screaming. When the tree was removed, the remains of Nero were discovered among the ruins; the Pope ordered these thrown into the Tiber." ...and since then, we have ourselves a church. (Church records from 1099 until the restoration seem sparse, unfortunately.)
As for the church now, it has a "who's who" of Italian art. The famous Chigi Chapel, designed by Raphael...second on the left from the entrance...emphasized humanism and was inspired by the Pantheon. The Della Rovere Chapel -- immediately to the right of the entrance -- showcases 1400s realism with Pinturicchio's Nativity with St. Jerome. The Cerasi Chapel -- left of the main altar -- highlights Baroque art with Carracci's Assumption of Mary (center) with the two real highlights being the Caravaggio's on either side: Conversion of St. Paul (1601) is on the right, and Crucifixion of St. Peter is on the left.
The sad news, for anyone visiting between September 2023 and November 2024 (like me, in November 2023), is that you won't be able to see any of this. The church interior is undergoing a restoration.
Speaking of restorations, let's take an overall look at the piazza from just inside the Porta del Popolo.
Pope Sixtus IV, realizing that this square, after centuries of decline, wasn't making a grand first impression (or even a good one, apparently), established eminent domain so the church could steal the land, clear it of unsightly buildings, and improve this piazza. Bernini had a hand in one of the subsequent upkeep efforts (namely in the design of the "twin" churches directly in front of you, but the main layout at the moment is compliments of Giuseppe Valadier who, from 1811-22, designed this in the loose image of St. Peter's Square, with its neoclassical symmetry and oval shape.
At the center of it all is the Flaminio (Popolo) Obelisk. Three sides were carved by pharoah Sety I, with the final side by Ramses II. (Ramses is considered to be one of the most powerful pharoahs in Egyptian history -- if not the most famous. He ran Egypt from 1279-11 B.C.)
In 10 B.C. Emperor Augustus had this obelisk moved over and stuck right in the middle of Circus Maximus. It was finally moved over here to Piazza del Popolo in 1589 (during the "upgrade" of Pope Sixtus V).
Focus your gaze to the two seemingly identical churches beyond the obelisk. You're looking at Santa Maria di Montesanto (1679, on the left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681, on the right). They're small churches, due to space constrictions. They were begun by Carlo Rainaldi, but completely by Bernini and Carlo Fontana. If you look closely, these aren't perfect twins. Bernini had to make a few minor corrections to make them seem as similar as possible.
The two churches exist there as they are split by three important and ancient pilgrim routes (converging here in "the Trident/il Tridente"). From left to right, they are:
Via del Babuino (yeah, that means "baboon") opened as the Via Paulina in 1525. This one was a pilgrim's route to Santa Maria Maggiore & Saint John in Laterano, but now goes to Piazza di Spagna.
Via del Corso. This was one of ancient Rome's "main streets" and, at about 1.6 kilometers, connects the city gate here with Piazza Venezia (at the foot of Capitoline Hill near the Forum). Nowadays, it's lined with churches, the Piazza Colonna (about halfway down), and shopping. Having been planned in 220 B.C., this was basically part of Via Flaminia. This road has gone through a few name changes. "Corso" refers to its history as being a racetrack for riderless horses (corsa dei barbieri) during the Roman Carnival since the 15th century. After King Umberto I's assassination in 1900, this was changed to Corso Umberto I. In 1944, it was changed to Corso del Popolo and finally in 1946 back to...Via del Corso.
Via di Ripetta, on the right, was the road that would take you near the Vatican, after running you by the Mausoleum of Augustus on the Tiber.
Step forward towards the obelisk, and you'll see two fairly big fountains at the eastern and western edges of the piazza.
On the western (right) side, you'll see two fountains. These were created by Giovanni Ceccarini in the 1820s. On the west (right) end, you have the Fontana del Nettuno. On the east (left) end, at the base of the Pincian Hill, you have Rome between the Tiber and the Aniene. Directly above that, you can see the Terrazza del Pincio in the Villa Borghese Gardens.
That does it for descriptions. Last notes...if you want to enjoy Santa Maria del Popolo (after it reopens) in relative solitude, try coming before 8:00 a.m. More fun, though, is to do what the locals do: the passeggiata is a nightly occurrence. Locals come here to take their stroll, to see, and be seen. It's a good spot for night life, and this is a great starting point. Split the churches, walk down Via del Corso, and enjoy "La dolce vita," as Rick Steves would say.
Fontana del Nettuno
Piazza del Popolo is a famous square in Rome, Italy. The descriptions that follow rely heavily on Rick Steves' Rome (where his "La Dolce Vita" stroll starts) and Wikipedia.
We'll start with location. Piazza del Popolo is located just inside the Porta del Popolo (formerly Porta Flaminia). This was the northern entrance into medieval Rome.
Sidebar (already??): Porta Flaminia...marked the end of Via Flaminia, the ancient road that connected the Adriatic (going due north over the Apennines), and then along the Adriatic coast into central Europe.
There was once a German minister from Wittenberg who walked 700 miles down here in 1510 and came right through this gate...was shocked by the corruption he found in the city (an extension of the church), and promptly decided to begin a counterreformation. His name was Martin Luther.
I'm sure a handful of others have waked through these gates over time. Rome was the equivalent of Mecca for Christians and the pilgrims primarily arrived at this gate. There are a few more tourists than pilgrims at this point.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to the story of the piazza...
History:
Before getting to the 1475 facelift from Pope Sixtus IV.
The most interesting history here is centered around the church immediately to your left when you walk through the Porta del Popolo. This is Santa Maria del Popolo.
The church was originally founded/created/formed by Pope Paschal II in 1099 A.D. (What we get to look at now is a result of the Sistine restoration of the square in the 1470s; more on that to follow.)
The formation of this church has as much to do with Imperial Roman history and legend as anything.
Emperor Nero, after committing suicide, was buried in the mausoleum of his family at the foot of the Pincian Hill (guess what hill that is directly behind the east fountain?).
There was a landslide at one point, and the Domitii Ahenobarbi went down for the count. On top of it, a rather impressive walnut tree grew. The walnut tree, magnificent as it was, apparently came laden with "evil spirits." This wasn't the best thing to have as a first impression for visitors to your fine town.
So, as Wikipedia explains, "On the Thursday after the third Sunday in Lent in 1099, the Pope organized the entire clergy and populace of Rome in one impressive procession that, with the crucifix at its head, went along the urban stretch of the Via Flaminia until it reached the infested place. There, Paschal II performed the rite of exorcism and then struck the walnut tree with a determined blow to its root, causing the evil spirits to burst forth, madly screaming. When the tree was removed, the remains of Nero were discovered among the ruins; the Pope ordered these thrown into the Tiber." ...and since then, we have ourselves a church. (Church records from 1099 until the restoration seem sparse, unfortunately.)
As for the church now, it has a "who's who" of Italian art. The famous Chigi Chapel, designed by Raphael...second on the left from the entrance...emphasized humanism and was inspired by the Pantheon. The Della Rovere Chapel -- immediately to the right of the entrance -- showcases 1400s realism with Pinturicchio's Nativity with St. Jerome. The Cerasi Chapel -- left of the main altar -- highlights Baroque art with Carracci's Assumption of Mary (center) with the two real highlights being the Caravaggio's on either side: Conversion of St. Paul (1601) is on the right, and Crucifixion of St. Peter is on the left.
The sad news, for anyone visiting between September 2023 and November 2024 (like me, in November 2023), is that you won't be able to see any of this. The church interior is undergoing a restoration.
Speaking of restorations, let's take an overall look at the piazza from just inside the Porta del Popolo.
Pope Sixtus IV, realizing that this square, after centuries of decline, wasn't making a grand first impression (or even a good one, apparently), established eminent domain so the church could steal the land, clear it of unsightly buildings, and improve this piazza. Bernini had a hand in one of the subsequent upkeep efforts (namely in the design of the "twin" churches directly in front of you, but the main layout at the moment is compliments of Giuseppe Valadier who, from 1811-22, designed this in the loose image of St. Peter's Square, with its neoclassical symmetry and oval shape.
At the center of it all is the Flaminio (Popolo) Obelisk. Three sides were carved by pharoah Sety I, with the final side by Ramses II. (Ramses is considered to be one of the most powerful pharoahs in Egyptian history -- if not the most famous. He ran Egypt from 1279-11 B.C.)
In 10 B.C. Emperor Augustus had this obelisk moved over and stuck right in the middle of Circus Maximus. It was finally moved over here to Piazza del Popolo in 1589 (during the "upgrade" of Pope Sixtus V).
Focus your gaze to the two seemingly identical churches beyond the obelisk. You're looking at Santa Maria di Montesanto (1679, on the left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681, on the right). They're small churches, due to space constrictions. They were begun by Carlo Rainaldi, but completely by Bernini and Carlo Fontana. If you look closely, these aren't perfect twins. Bernini had to make a few minor corrections to make them seem as similar as possible.
The two churches exist there as they are split by three important and ancient pilgrim routes (converging here in "the Trident/il Tridente"). From left to right, they are:
Via del Babuino (yeah, that means "baboon") opened as the Via Paulina in 1525. This one was a pilgrim's route to Santa Maria Maggiore & Saint John in Laterano, but now goes to Piazza di Spagna.
Via del Corso. This was one of ancient Rome's "main streets" and, at about 1.6 kilometers, connects the city gate here with Piazza Venezia (at the foot of Capitoline Hill near the Forum). Nowadays, it's lined with churches, the Piazza Colonna (about halfway down), and shopping. Having been planned in 220 B.C., this was basically part of Via Flaminia. This road has gone through a few name changes. "Corso" refers to its history as being a racetrack for riderless horses (corsa dei barbieri) during the Roman Carnival since the 15th century. After King Umberto I's assassination in 1900, this was changed to Corso Umberto I. In 1944, it was changed to Corso del Popolo and finally in 1946 back to...Via del Corso.
Via di Ripetta, on the right, was the road that would take you near the Vatican, after running you by the Mausoleum of Augustus on the Tiber.
Step forward towards the obelisk, and you'll see two fairly big fountains at the eastern and western edges of the piazza.
On the western (right) side, you'll see two fountains. These were created by Giovanni Ceccarini in the 1820s. On the west (right) end, you have the Fontana del Nettuno. On the east (left) end, at the base of the Pincian Hill, you have Rome between the Tiber and the Aniene. Directly above that, you can see the Terrazza del Pincio in the Villa Borghese Gardens.
That does it for descriptions. Last notes...if you want to enjoy Santa Maria del Popolo (after it reopens) in relative solitude, try coming before 8:00 a.m. More fun, though, is to do what the locals do: the passeggiata is a nightly occurrence. Locals come here to take their stroll, to see, and be seen. It's a good spot for night life, and this is a great starting point. Split the churches, walk down Via del Corso, and enjoy "La dolce vita," as Rick Steves would say.