Piazza di Spagna & The Spanish Steps

Lonely Planet review

The favourite flirting ground of Roman teenagers, Piazza di Spagna and the famous Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) have been a magnet for foreigners since the 18th century. In the late 1700s the area was much loved by English on the Grand Tour and was known to locals as er ghetto de l'inglesi (the English ghetto). It's busy from early morning until the small hours.

Built between 1723 and 1726 with French money, designed by an Italian (Francesco De Sanctis) and named after the nearby Spanish Embassy, the Spanish Steps were constructed to connect the piazza with the eminent folk who lived above it. They soon became a meeting point for the city's most beautiful men and women, who gathered here hoping to be chosen as artists' models. These days you're more likely to see spotty schoolkids than any Latin Adonis. Unless, of course, you're here in April during the annual fashion show.

At the foot of the steps, the fountain of a sinking boat, the Barcaccia (1627), is believed to be by Pietro Bernini, father of the famous Gian Lorenzo.

To the right, adjacent Piazza Mignanelli is dominated by the Colonna dell'Immacolata, built in 1857 to celebrate Pope Pius IX's declaration of the Immaculate Conception. On 8 December each year, local firefighters place a wreath on the arm of the statue of the Virgin Mary.