Popular Places in Rome - The Spanish Steps
The elegant and romantic atmosphere of the Spanish Steps are one of the most popular and well know places in Rome.
138 steps of pure class and elegance, brightens up the square and brings life and energy to this great place. The area was built in the late 1700s, it attracts and is still frequented by locals and tourists to absorb its incredible atmosphere.
The Italian name for Spanish Steps is “Scalinata”. These are a set of steps in one of the most beutiful areas of Rome. The Spanish Steps were actually, despite of its name, built by the French.
The monumental stairway, “Spanish Steps” or “Scalinata di Spagna” were built between 1723 and 1725 with French diplomat tienne Gueffier. You can easily recognize it at the Piazza di Spagna square rectangle like shape.
This place is one of the most popular tourist spots in Rome. The Scalinata is no doubt the widest and longest staircase in all Europe.
The fountain at the base of the square is called “La Fontana della Barcaccia” (”Fountain of the Old Boat”), built by Bernini in 1627-29. According to the legend, Pope Urban VIII was impressed by a boat brought here by a flood of the Tiber river and wanted to build a fountain.
Bernini is said to have used the Boat as a sign of safety from floods from the Tiber River.
The steps are covered by pots of beautiful “Azalea” flowers in spring (flowering shrubs are part of the genus Rhododendron and subgenus Pentanthera), Romans named them “Garden Stairs”.
The weather in Rome can get quite hot, even in the Fall. So the many shops, restaurants and cafes near the Spanish Steps are always crowded but nevertheless absorbing this unique and elegant atmosphere.
Eating on the stairs is forbidden by Italian regulations, anyway you will probably still see some people having a “tramezino” (Typical Roman Sandwich) and a cold drink when everything is calm and peaceful.
Nowadays, this is also the meeting point to take a romantic or scenic ride in a carriage pulled by a horse. Stepping on the very first step to the right, is the house where English poet John Keats lived and died in 1821.
Today is a museum open to the public dedicated to his memory, full of memorabilia of the English Romantic generation.
Halfway up on the right is where Bernardo Bertolucci directed Besieged (1998) and where The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone was filmed as well.
Bob Dylan talks about the “Spanish Stairs” in a classic “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (1971). Perfect harmony surrounded by a baroque context for the modern terraces.
When visiting Rome, enjoy the Spanish Steps on your trip. Rent an accommodation near the Spanish Steps and get the best Rome has to offer.