A Secret Corner

It is a small historic district located just beyond the Vatican walls, in the heart of Rome. Here you can take a pleasant walk through ancient alleys beyond small and elegant restaurants and bars. This neighborhood retains its unique character a few steps from the Basilica of San Pietro and the commercial street of Via Cola di Rienzo with the most famous shops.

 

Its history is closely linked to that of Rome. This imposing structure that has rested on the placid waters of the Tiber for almost two thousand years originates from the Mausoleum of Hadrian, commissioned by the emperor himself in a peripheral area of ​​ancient Rome. A short distance from the Vatican, between the Borgo and Prati districts; it is connected to the Vatican State through the fortified corridor of the "passetto". The castle has been radically modified several times in the medieval and Renaissance periods. With the beginning of the seventeenth century Castel Sant'Angelo lost the role of residence to assume almost exclusively that of prison.

 

The largest of the papal basilicas, a building measuring 218 meters long and 136 meters high up to its dome with an area of ​​23,000 square meters. Considered as the universal seat of the Catholic Church, the current Basilica, built on that of Constantine, is the expression of the will of the Popes of the Renaissance who, relying on great artists such as Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno take us today on a journey through art, faith and spirituality. Here you can admire not only the magnificence of the building, but also walk its naves, visit the chapels and enjoy the beauty of numerous works of art, such as Michelangelo's Pietà. 

 

From the ancient Greek "temple of all the gods", located in the Pigna district in the historic center, built as a temple dedicated to all past, present and future divinities. It is made up of a circular structure joined to a portico of columns that support a pediment. Almost two millennia after its construction, the dome of the Pantheon is still one of the largest domes in the world today. The Pantheon has undergone many renovations. After suffering two fires, the temple was rebuilt in the form in which you can admire it today by the emperor Hadrian.

 

Among the many locations in Rome that can be visited, one of the most fascinating is undoubtedly Piazza del Popolo, one of the symbols of the capital. Over the centuries it has been the scene of an extraordinary variety of events of all kinds, from capital executions to jousting. The square is also called the summit of the so-called Trident, that is to say a decidedly famous triangle of streets in the capital which includes Via di Ripetta, via del Babbuino and, above all, via del Corso, the famous shopping street.