Piazza di Spagna is located in central Rome, in the Campo Marzio area, and is divided into two unequal triangles. The larger, northern triangle contains the Barcaccia Fountain and the Spanish Steps leading from the fountain up the Pincio Hill to the Trinita dei Monti Church, while the smaller, southern triangle contains the Column of the Immaculate Conception and the Palace of Spain, which gave the square its name.
Throughout its history, the Plaza de España has been a haven for foreigners. In the Middle Ages, the hill on which it sits was a French possession. The Trinita dei Monti church was built here in the early 16th century by Louis XII, and services are still conducted in French. A little later the British aristocracy began to settle here, and the square was jokingly called the English ghetto.
The first Spaniards arrived in the area in the early 17th century, and Spain purchased the Monaldeschi Palace located on the square for its embassy. The square was increasingly referred to as the Spanish square, and gradually this name not only took hold, but also became official.
The construction of the church, whose full name is Santissima Trinita dei Monte Pincho, began in 1502. It is believed that Louis XII wanted to commemorate the French victory in Naples. The work was not completed until 1585, after which the church was consecrated in honor of the Trinity.
Originally planned as a Gothic church, the church acquired Romanesque features during the long years of construction. However, its original appearance was lost due to the destruction it suffered during the occupation of Italy by Napoleon’s troops. During the restoration that followed in 1816, the building was considerably rebuilt.
The church has one nave and many side chapels. Its interior is rather modest, which is typical of all Catholic churches. However, the vaults and walls of the side chapels are decorated with unique paintings made by the best masters of their time.
To the left of the church is the Medici Villa, built in the 16th century. In the 18th century it became French property and became the main building of the French Academy of Fine Arts established by Louis XIV.
Down in the center of the square is the Fontana della Barcaccia (Barcaccia Fountain). It was built in 1627 by Pietro Bernini and his famous son, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The fountain is made in the form of a half-submerged boat in azure water and was installed in memory of the flood of 1598, when a real boat ran aground in the flooded square.
It is a living and figurative embodiment of a sinking boat with jets of water flowing from its stern and bow. The structure is covered with the Barberini family symbols – the sun and bees. The Pope who commissioned the fountain belonged to this family.
The fountain receives its water from the ancient aqueduct Aqua Virgo, which was built in 19 BC and is still in operation today. The water pressure in the aqueduct is low in this place, and the structure had to be built slightly below the level of the square. The fountain has been restored several times, but its original appearance has remained unchanged. The work makes a stunning impression and attracts crowds of tourists, being, along with the Spanish Steps, one of the main attractions of the square.
The Spanish Steps (actually the Scalinata Trinita dei Monti) were conceived by Etienne Geffier, the French ambassador to Rome, who proposed connecting the Spanish Square and the Trinita dei Monti church as a sign of the unbreakable union between France and Spain. He even decided to spend his own money on its construction, which he indicated in his will, allocating for the construction of 20 thousand scudos. French Cardinal Mazarini proposed to crown the structure with a statue of Louis XIV. This provoked the anger of the Pope, and the project to build a staircase was temporarily rejected.
In 1717, the idea of building a staircase returned, and sketches for the project made the winning architect Francesco de Sanctis. Construction work began in 1723, and the opening of the staircase took place in 1725. It took quite a long time to strengthen the hillside and prepare the square. Of course, the statue of Louis XIV was no longer there.
At the place of its intended placement were located attributes of papal power (eagle and crown) and symbols of the royal house of the Bourbons. Having become the subject of disputes between the papacy and the Spanish-French community of Rome, the staircase was ignored by the city authorities for a long time and practically preserved its original appearance.
The staircase is made of travertine, a traditional material for the time, and has 135 steps of concave shape and different lengths. The 136th step is sometimes mistaken for a drainage ledge. Throughout its existence, it has only survived two restorations – 1997 and 2016 (the latter paid for by Dolce & Gabbana).
It is a popular venue for various celebrations and the setting for a large number of feature films. Every spring, on April 21 (the day of Rome’s foundation), citizens decorate the Spanish Steps with vases of pink azaleas, and in winter, Christmas shows are held here.
Here, on the stairs, shows of collections of famous couturiers are often held, especially since Piazza España itself is the center of Rome’s fashion district with hundreds of fashion boutiques. The most famous of them are located on Via Condotti and Via del Babuino, which branch off the square. It is also where several streets begin, where contemporary Italian artists live and work and from whom you can buy their works.
The staircase is crowned by the 14-meter tall Obelisk of Sallustius, located right in front of the church. It was named after the place where it was found – in the Gardens of Sallustius, located north of the city – and is an ancient imitation of the obelisks of ancient Egypt. Its hieroglyphs were copied from a 13th century BC original taken from Heliopolis and installed in the Great Circus. It was placed at the top of the Spanish Steps in 1789 at the behest of Pope Pius VI.
In the center of the smaller, southern, triangle of the Piazza España on a marble pedestal stands the 12-meter marble Colonna dell’Immacolata Concezione. It was created in 1857 by architect Luigi Poletti and installed with the help of 220 firemen. The erection of the column was timed to coincide with the Catholic Church’s proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. It was not by chance that the place of its installation was chosen – Spain was the most active in promoting the adoption of the dogma.
The column is crowned by a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary by Giuseppe Obici. The figure of the Virgin Mary embodies the traditional view of the Immaculate Conception – she stands on a crescent moon, symbolizing the top of the world, and tramples the serpent, i.e. original sin, with her foot.
On the right arm of the statue always hangs a real wreath of flowers. Every year, on December 8, the Pope arrives in the square with such a wreath (usually made of white lilies – a symbol of purity), and firemen with the help of a crane put the wreath on the hand of the Virgin, where it hangs all year until the next December 8. The ceremony has been held since 1923, but the Pope has only taken part in it since 1953.
On the pedestal, together with which the height of the structure is 29 meters, are installed figures of the biblical prophets Moses, Isaiah and Ezekiel and King David by sculptors Ignatius Giacometti, Salvatore Revelli, Carlo Celli and Adam Tadolini, respectively. The figures not only adorn the column, but also serve as additional support for it.
In addition to such “obvious” sights, the entire Piazza España is surrounded by many magnificent buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Among them are the Palazzo della España, built in 1620 (formerly Palazzo Monaldeschi), and the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide (Palazzo di Propaganda Fide), built in the late 16th century as the private residence of the Bishop of Umbria, Mons Ferratini Bartholomew, and now the property of the Holy See.
The square has a museum of the English poet John Keats, who lived and died here in 1821. To the left of the Spanish Steps has been an English tea house, Babingtons Tea Rooms, since 1896, whose owners strictly observe the rules of the tea ceremony of Victorian Britain. And almost opposite the stairs, on the right side of Via Condotti, is Rome’s oldest cafe, Cafe Brera – Antico Caffe Greco, in operation since 1760. Via Condotti was once home to Stendhal.
The easiest way to get to Piazza España is by metro – line A, Spagna station.
