Enjoy reading my blog throughout my 7 weeks in Roma this summer! Ciao!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Details about Piazzas in Guided Tour

The beginning of your tour of Piazzas in Rome starts you at Capitol Hill, in Piazza del Campidoglio. Here, like I said before, are the two buildings, Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori, which comprise the Capitoline Museums. The museums contain various paintings and sculptures. Some of the highlighted works include the Red Faun, Dying Galatian, Medusa, and the She-Wolf.

The Piazza Venezia contains the Palazzo Venezia and Museum and the Victor Emmanuel Monument. In the Palazzo Venezia, which was constructed "in 1455-64 for the Venetian cardinal Peitro Barbo", you can view collections of art of early Renaissance paintings and sculptures, tapestries, and statues. Before you go to the museum check to see if any temporary exhibitions are going to be held, so you can make sure to
see them.

In center of Piazza di Spagna you will find the Baraccia fountain and the famous stairs that lead you to Trinita dei Monti, a 16th-century church. From here you will be able to have one of the greatest views of the entire city. In you are looking for a cafe to relax in and enjoy some croissants or try a cappuccino, Cafe Greco is the place to go. It is located at the corner where Via Condotti and Via di Propaganda meet. It is an extremely
elaborate cafe with deep, rich red walls and dark wood furniture. Before you leave the piazza, try to stop at the Keats-Shelley Memorial House. It is a memorial library that honors John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, two English Romantic poets.

The final stop is Piazza del Popolo, a grand oval shaped piazza which used to be home to many public executions. The Piazza has been gradually transformed over the years
since its beginning to what it looks like today. There is "two twin Neo-Classical church facades" that sandwich Porta del Popolo with an Egyptian obelisk in the center. On a nice day you will find the piazza packed with cars, people, vendors, and restaurants.

EyeWitness Guide (pgs 66, 130-1, 134, 137)

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