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Photo: user:Lalupa, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
One of the most splendid (still private) Baroque grand palaces in Rome.
The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings in central Rome, Italy, at the base of the Quirinal Hill, and adjacent to the church of Santi Apostoli. It is built in part over the ruins of an old Roman serapeum, and it has belonged to the prominent Colonna family for over twenty generations.
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Former stables of the Quirinal Palace, now an exhibition centre that usually hosts some excellent art shows.
Quirinal Palace
Home of the President of the Italian Republic, and the Quirinal Gardens. Built in 1573 as a papal summer residence, and has since also served as the residence for the pope and later for the king of Italy.
Fontana di Trevi
Completed in 1762 to a design by Nicola Salvi, this spectacular Baroque fountain features a mythological sculptural composition of Neptune, god of the sea, flanked by two Tritons: one Triton labours to control a violent sea-horse, the other controls a pacified creature, both symbolising the dual nature of the world's oceans. The location of the Trevi fountain marks the terminus of the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct, completed in 19 BCE in order to supply the Baths of Agrippa, and is so named on account of its position at the junction of three roads (tre vie). The legend says that one who throws a coin in the fountain shall one day return to Rome. The coins in the fountain are regularly collected to finance charities. The fountain has been made even more famous by the 1954 film, Three Coins in the Fountain, and by a famous scene in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita. According to popular superstition and custom, throwing coins with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain is a practice endowed with good luck. Throwing one coin ensures that the thrower will return to Rome; throwing two coins will ensure that the thrower will fall in love with a beautiful Roman girl (or handsome boy); throwing three coins, finally, ensures that the thrower will marry that girl or boy in Rome itself. The fountain is one of Rome's most famous attractions, but the square isn't exactly as large as St. Peter's, therefore it might be packed with crowds almost like at a rock festival. For this reason it's reportedly also a pickpocket hotspot, so do watch your pockets and bags here!
In other information, Entering the water of the Trevi Fountain or climbing on its statues carries a heavy fine of €450. Police guard the site 24/7.
Rotating exhibitions, usually three at one time. Exhibition descriptions normally provided in both Italian and English. Avoid Sunday morning, when the Romans go, as queues to get in can be long.
A very small and beautiful church, the first design commission of Francesco Borromini.
Four fountains from the time of Pope Sixtus V when much of Rome was redeveloped. A reclining deity is the theme of each sculpture. This is a busy intersection and if you don't look twice you may miss these exquisite examples of Roman mythology.