Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese & Campo de' Fiori

Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti)

The Spanish Steps (1723–1726) connect the Piazza di Spagna with the church Trinità dei Monti and, with 135 steps, are one of the most famous staircases in the world. In spring, they are adorned with azaleas, in summer they are the city's most popular meeting point. At the foot of the steps: the Barcaccia Fountain (Pietro Bernini, father of the more famous Gian Lorenzo) and Via Condotti — Rome's most expensive shopping street with Gucci, Prada, and Bulgari.

Galleria Borghese

The Galleria Borghese is one of the world's most beautiful art museums — small, intimate, and with a collection that defies size. In the Villa Borghese (17th century) in the park of the same name, you will find:

• Bernini: Apollo and Daphne, The Rape of Proserpina, David — sculptures with a vitality that leaves every viewer speechless. The marble seems to breathe.
• Caravaggio: Six paintings, including Boy with a Basket of Fruit, David with the Head of Goliath (the head is Caravaggio's self-portrait), and Sick Bacchus.
• Canova: Venus Victrix — Paolina Bonaparte as a half-naked Venus on a divan. Scandalous then, breathtaking today.
• Raphael, Titian, Rubens and many more.

Admission: €15, reservation required (max. 360 visitors per 2-hour time slot). Book weeks in advance! Opening hours: Tue–Sun 9 AM–7 PM. Free on the first Sunday of the month.

Campo de' Fiori

The Campo de' Fiori (Field of Flowers) is Rome's liveliest square: In the morning (7 AM–2 PM), the city's oldest market takes place here — fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, and fresh pasta. In the center stands the somber statue of Giordano Bruno, who was burned here as a heretic in 1600. In the evening, the square transforms into an open-air living room with bars and restaurants — touristy but atmospheric.