Rome: The Eternal city
Rome, capital of Italy, will always have a special place in my heart. The Colosseum, St. Peter’s Square, Via del Corso are among the most common and unmissable tourist stops in Rome. But if you want to discover something unusual and out of the ordinary, you are in the right place! Read below and I’ll show you 5 unusual stops in the Eternal City.
1. ‘Quartiere Coppede‘: district of Trieste
In the block between via Tagliamento, via Arno, via Ombrone, via Serchio and via Clitunno we find the ‘Quartiere Coppede‘ reachable by going to ‘Piazza Mincio’. In the center of this square, you will find the frog fountain where the Beatles are said to have bathed in 1965!
The buildings in this area are absolutely breathtaking. Specifically, you can admire: Villini delle Fate, Palazzo del Ragno, the palaces of ambassadors, and an unnamed palace. It is no coincidence that many films have been shot in this neighborhood, particularly horror films due to the neo-Gothic style of the buildings which, especially at night, create a perfect setting for this type of film. If you are a fan of horror films, ‘The Omen’ by Richard Donner, the noir ‘The Perfume of the Lady in Black’ directed by Francesco Barilli and finally ‘The Bird with the Crystal Plumage’ and ‘Inferno’ by Dario Argento.
2.‘Arco dei Banchi’: crossroads of via del Banco di S. Spirito
The Arco dei Banchi is a street that connects the current Via del Banco di Santo Spirito with Via Paola. This little-known Renaissance underpass in Rome was a place where all the capital’s finances were managed. You may wonder how it is possible, but in this little street the most famous banker in all of Rome (Agostino Chigi) set up a banquet under the arch in the 15th century and in the meantime settled accounts and granted loans.
This arch also hides an Instagrammable treasure: a wonderful starry sky. Today this underpass is a quiet place, if you take Via Paola and emerge from the Via del Banco di Santo Spirito side, you will find yourself in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, one of the most beautiful views of Rome.
3. Via Piccolomini: The Illusion street
Among the most particular places in Rome, we find ‘Via Niccolò Piccolomini’, also known as the street of illusion. You may wonder why it’s called that way, and I‘m right here to explain it to you! From this elegant street you will be able to see the ‘Cuppolone‘ Roman way of calling the dome of St. Peter’s. If you walk along the street approaching the sight of the dome it moves away, but if you move away from the dome, it gets closer! This optical illusion is still one of the greatest mysteries of Rome so for now we can only admire it and remain absolutely amazed.
4. Keats-Shelley House: Piazza di Spagna
Piazza di Spagna is one of the most romantic places in Rome, a film set and location for high fashion shows. This square has two key elements, the staircase that leads to the ‘Pincio‘ and a work by Borromini ‘La Barcaccia’. I said I would tell you about less touristy places, I know, and you will think, why is he showing us one of the most famous squares in Rome? Well because it hides a hidden treasure little known to tourists: the Keats-Shelley House.
At number 26 Piazza di Spagna, the British poet, the greatest exponent of literary romanticism, lived his last months of life. In this building, which leans right against the staircase, where he left his last “testimony”, words, right in the “eternal city”. According to popular stories, Keats loved walking along Via Condotti. Today this house has become a museum, the rooms host the memories of the English Romantic poets, works, sculptures and paintings. Among the most bizarre things in the museum are a wax carnival mask of Byron and a lock of hair from John Milton and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
5. Water Clock: Pincio
The Pincio is a hill in Rome located in the center. As main attractions, we find the ‘Terrazza del Pincio‘ from which you can admire the ‘Cuppolone‘ and one of the main squares of Rome ‘Piazza del Popolo, the ‘Casina Valadier‘ famous restaurant with a view of Rome and the busts (statues) that invade the lookout.
In this park in Rome, there is a very curious object: the water clock. Designed by the Dominican friar Giovanni Battista Embriaco, this clock was even taken to the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867. Today it is installed on a small island in the center of a lake. But how does this Water Clock work? The fall of water into leaf-shaped trays makes them oscillate and thus activates the movement of the hands.
Travel Italy with Mel
Meet Melissa Romano (known to us as Mel because she now resides in Sydney, Australia… and we love to shorten things). Melissa was born in Italy and lived the first few decades of her life there. She regularly travels back to her homeland and we are lucky to have her in the TravelPay Marketing team as our go-to guide for anyone travelling to Italy.
She has a passion for travel and is a total foodie. Mel will be sharing her insider tips on travelling to Italy with a series of blogs on our site.
So make sure you check back for more and discover Italy through the eyes of a local.
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