Favorite Attractions in Centro Storico (Rome)

Palazzo Ruspoli

Palazzo Ruspoli was the residence of a noble Roman family who acquired it in the second half of the 17th Century and still own it. It was built in the second half of the 16th Century, designed by Bartolomeo Ammannati for a Florentine family. On entering the courtyard, you are in a portico of columns with antique sarcophagi under the arches. There is a garden at the back of the courtyard that has now become a cinema. The Palazzo is now the site of photographic, art, and archaeological exhibitions. The magnificent marble staircase with one hundred steps, each hewn from a single piece of stone, is a marvel.

Via di Ripetta

Until the 18th Century this street was known as Via Leonina in honor of Pope Leo V who had it built 200 years earlier. It was later called Via Ripetta as it flanks the bank of the Tiber. There are a number of important monuments along the road: the mausoleum of Emperor Augustus, the Ara Pacis and the churches of San Rocco, San Girolamo degli Illirici and Santa Maria Portae Paradisi. It is one of the three streets (with the Via del Corso and the Via del Babuino) that formed a trident shape, a town-planning model conceived in the 16th Century.

Piazza del Popolo

During the Middle Ages, Piazza del Popolo formed the main entrance to the city for pilgrims and travelers arriving on the Via Flaminia (from the north). It was only when Pope Sixtus V placed the Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II in the center of the square that Piazza del Popolo took on its current function. The obelisk is the tip of the trident formed by the three streets that begin in the square: Via del Corso , Via di Ripetta and Via del Babuino. Valadier was the architect who gave the square its present elliptical appearance by building the two ramps that lead to the Pincio. Two shell-shaped fountains overlooked by groups of statues stand in two hemicycles. Valadier was also responsible for the buildings on Via del Babuino and Via di Ripetta that are today occupied by the famous cafés Rosati and Canova.

Tempio dei Castore e Polluce

The two enormous statues in the Tempio dei Castore e Polluce are Roman copies of Greek sculptures and date back to the 5th Century BC. They represent Castor and Pollux, patrons of riders, and they were placed at the entrance of the Terme di Costantino. Pope Sixtus V had the statues restored in 1588 and moved to the piazza when Quirinale became a papal residence. The Obelisk was placed here two centuries later, having been transferred from the Mausoleo di Augusto. It was joined by a large trough in the 1800s from which horses and other beasts were watered.

Fontana dell'Acqua Felice

The fountain is known as Fontana Del Mosè due to the badly proportioned statue of Moses in the central arch and its amazing resemblance to the famous statue by Michelangelo. It was created as a finishing touch to the Acqua felice aqueduct, ordered by Felice Peretti, better known as Pope Sixtus V who introduced drinking water to this area. The two arches have reliefs on the side of scenes taken from the Old Testament, while the lions are copies of two Egyptian statues that are to be found in the Vatican Museums.

Palazzo del Monte di Pietà

This institution was commissioned by Pope Paul III in order to defend private citizens from usury. The building was supplied for this purpose in 1603, and the institution moved there from its previous offices in Via dei Coronari. Refurbishment was performed by Carlo Maderno who also built the chapel. The façade of the building includes, between the two portals, a fountain bearing the emblem of Pope Paul V while, between the first floor windows, there is a niche containing a Pietà with, on each side, the emblems of Paul III and Clement VIII. The chapel is beautiful and worth a visit. Oval in shape, it is lined with green and dark yellow marble, while the niches present bas-relief work in white marble. On the altar there is a bas-relief by Domenico Guidi depicting the Pietà: clearly the sculptor was greatly inspired by the more famous Pietà by Michelangelo, done in 1499.

Bioparco

This used to be a zoo, but has now become the Bioparco. With only a few cages, the goal is to create an environment that is as close as possible to the animals' natural habitat. Here children can learn about where and how animals really live.

Navigando sul Tevere

The journey lasts about an hour and a half and goes along part of the Tiber river, under the historical bridges of Rome, starting from Umberto I Bridge and arriving at Duca d'Aosta Bridge: it offers a very different, quite enchanting view of the capital.

Palazzo Falconieri

The palace on the lovely Via Giulia was bought by the state of Hungary in 1928, since which it has been the home of the Hungarian Academy. Here cultural initiatives are held, providing a meeting point between the Hungarian and Italian cultures. Design of the palace was by Bramante whom Pope Julius II had commissioned to design a road to connect Ponte Sisto to Ponte Trionfale together with buildings on either side. However, the final touches to this palace were added by Borromini, without spoiling the 16th c. structure of the building. The palace was named after Orazio Falconieri who bought it from the Farnese family in 1638. Inside there is a magnificent stairway and richly decorated ceilings. Admission: Free.

Via dei Pettinari

This street was restored by Pope Sixtus IV at the same time that the Sixtus Bridge was rebuilt to create a link between the commercial area of the Ponte, Parione and Regola districts with the Trastevere. Its name was derived from the fact that the street used to be used by comb manufacturers. The local areas also have streets named after the main commercial activities that used to take place in them. The Hospice of the Hundred Priests stands on the street and was built by Domenico Fontana with the purpose of being a charitable institution.

Via dei Banchi Vecchi

This street is named after the bankers who used to live and work here. There are several interesting Renaissance buildings, such as Palazzo degli Accetti at number 123 and Palazzo dei Pupazzi at number 22. Palazzo dei Pupazzi was commissioned between 1538 and 1540 by the goldsmith Pietro Crivelli who had it decorated with cupids, women's heads and nudes, hence its name. Also in the same street is Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, commissioned by Cardinal Borgia before he became Pope Alexander VI. Palazzo Sforza Cesarini's main façade was once on this street, but was later moved to Corso Vittorio Emanuele side of the building. There is also the church of Santa Lucia del Gonfalone at number 12.

Fontana dei Navigatori

The fountain was built in Ripetta port in 1704 and called the "navigator's fountain" because of its position close to the port. It was designed by Alessandro Specchi in an oval form decorated with marine motifs: one can easily make out shells, rocks and two dolphins holding up an enormous shell.Around the middle of the 18th Century, a wrought iron lantern was built on top of the fountain and was used to moor boats at night. When the banks of the Tiber were restructured and the port was destroyed, the fountain was taken to pieces and left in the stores of the local council. It was only in 1929 that the decision was taken to rebuild it in the same area; now it stands in Piazza del Porto di Ripetta on the corner with the riverfront.