Piazza del Campidoglio

Designed by Michelangelo in 1538, this graceful piazza is one of Rome’s most beautiful. The most dramatic approach is via the Cordonata, the graceful staircase that leads up from Piazza d’Ara Coeli. At the top of the stairs, the piazza is bordered by three palazzi:Palazzo Nuovo to the left, Palazzo Senatorio straight ahead and Palazzo dei Conservatori on the right. Together, Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori house the Capitoline Museums, while Palazzo Senatorio is home to Rome’s city council. In the centre, the bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is a copy. The original, which dates from the 2nd century AD, was in the piazza from 1538 until 1981, when it was moved to Palazzo Nuovo to protect it from erosion.