Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps form one of Rome's most theatrical set pieces, a monumental travertine stairway of 135 steps that climbs in a cascade of curves and terraces from Piazza di Spagna up to the twin-towered church of Trinità dei Monti. Built between 1723 and 1725 with French funding to link the Bourbon-owned church above with the square below, which takes its name from the nearby Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, the staircase became an instant magnet for artists, writers and the fashionable crowds of the Grand Tour era; poets Keats and Shelley both lived in the house at its foot, now the Keats-Shelley Memorial House museum. At the base of the steps sits the Barcaccia, a boat-shaped fountain usually attributed to Pietro Bernini, father of Gian Lorenzo, which draws on the low natural water pressure of the area to create its gently overflowing basin. Climbing the full staircase leads to the piazza in front of Trinità dei Monti, where an Egyptian obelisk stands before the church's twin bell towers and a wide terrace opens over the rooftops of central Rome. The steps themselves have no admission and are open around the clock, and a visit is typically brief, 30 to 45 minutes, though many linger to people-watch. The surrounding streets, especially Via Condotti running down toward the Corso, form Rome's most prestigious shopping district, lined with flagship boutiques of major Italian and international fashion houses. The piazza is one of the most crowded spots in the city through the day, with rules against sitting, eating or lingering long on the steps themselves, enforced by fines. Early morning, before the tour groups and shoppers arrive, is by far the best time to see the staircase's sweeping lines uncluttered, and it is also beautifully lit at night. In spring the steps are traditionally decorated with cascading pink azaleas.