Piazza della Repubblica is located in the center of Rome, near the Termini train station. Even on weekdays it is quite crowded, and on weekends and holidays local musicians like to gather here. Via Nazionale is one of the main streets of the city. The A line of the Rome Metro runs under the square, and the Repubblica – Teatro del Opera station is located here.
Until the 1950s, the square was called Exedra. This name was derived from the large Exedra of Diocletian’s Thermae, a semicircular deep niche with a half-dome. The rounded shape of the square is well in tune with its historical origins.
All of Rome was built on the ruins of what were once the grandest buildings in the Mediterranean world. In the first millennium A.D. there was a very popular Roman bath complex, the Thermae of Diocletian, on the site of today’s Republic Square. Huge baths were made on a vast territory in the central part of the city.
Their construction began in 298 AD and was completed by 305. The baths included a whole complex of water services, created with imperial scope. There were cold water pools, warm baths, various rooms for recreation, a reading room, rooms for sports training and much more. All this was decorated with dense gardens with exotic plants and a fountain.
The capacity of the baths was more than 3200 people. The complex was dedicated to the Roman emperor and named “Thermae Diocletian”. Unfortunately, these buildings existed for a relatively short period of time – two centuries, and were destroyed at the end of the Western Roman Empire in the 500s of our century.
The ruined baths did not please the Romans for a thousand years, until the city government decided to rebuild part of the destroyed thermae. This is how the temple and the square opposite it came to be. Later, by order of Pope Pius IX the square was decorated with a fountain, and in another 50 years it was decorated with semicircular buildings with colonnades. The last change was the name of the square, although many Romans still can not part with the former name of this place.
The square connects most of the central streets, which are very popular with tourists in Rome. Its entire architectural design was finalized only in the 19th century.
The shape of the ancient exedra is repeated in the colonnade that bounds the square from the southwest. The semi-circular twin palazzos with a textured exterior in the style of classical Italy with frequent arches, high window openings and large flying birds at the head of the building were erected between 1887 and 1898 by the architect Gaetano Koch and belong to the state institutions.
On the opposite side is an ancient church with the long name of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. The church was built in 1566 on the remains of the stone structures of the Thermae of Diolectianus. Parts of the window openings of the thermae can still be seen today.
The temple was supposedly designed by Michelangelo, although, according to some sources, it was completed after his death. Since the beginning of the 18th century, the building has been rebuilt more than once, but in the end, today the facade is as close as possible to its original appearance. The stone facades and the structure of the windows reflect the era of ancient Rome. The church is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God and all the saints and martyrs of this city.
The church, although located in the main building of the thermae, does not occupy the whole of them. You can still find remnants of them here. One of the ancient buildings houses the National Roman Museum, which can be reached within a 5-minute walk from the square. The museum is open from 9-00 to 19-45, entrance ticket costs 7 euros.
In the center of the square is the Naiad Fountain, created by sculptor Mario Rutelli in 1901 and recognized as the most beautiful in the city. The fountain makes a special impression in the evening against the background of the beams of city traffic and the illuminated columns of the portico.
Next to the square is the famous Termini Station. It is not only the largest, but also the most important railway station in Rome. More than 150 million people pass through it every year.
