Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo is the grand oval square that has long formed the ceremonial northern entrance to Rome, just inside the ancient Porta del Popolo gate where travellers arriving from the north historically first set eyes on the city. At its centre stands a genuine Egyptian obelisk, the Flaminio Obelisk, brought to Rome under Augustus and originally carved for Pharaoh Seti I more than 3,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest man-made objects in the city. From the obelisk three long straight streets fan out into the historic centre, including the shopping artery of Via del Corso, a Baroque urban-planning device known as the trident. On the southern side of the square, two near-identical domed churches, Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto, frame the entrance to the trident and give the piazza its theatrical symmetry. On the northeastern corner sits the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, unassuming from outside but containing, free to view, two celebrated Caravaggio paintings in the Cerasi Chapel, the Conversion of Saint Paul and the Crucifixion of Saint Peter, alongside works by Raphael and Bernini. A staircase and ramp on the eastern side climb to the Pincio terrace, a favourite spot for watching the sunset with a panorama stretching across the rooftops to St Peter's dome. A visit to the square itself takes under an hour, longer with the church and terrace included. The piazza has no admission and is open at all hours, busiest in late afternoon and evening when the terraces and cafés fill. It connects easily on foot to the Spanish Steps and central shopping streets, making it a natural pairing on a walking day through Rome.