SPAGNA AND AROUND

Introduction
The Piazza di Spagna and the flowered Spanish Steps that lead up to the church of Trinità dei Monti, have always been one of the most elegant and international meeting-points of the city. The name of the square comes from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See that opened on the west side of the square in the 17th century and that is still there. The Piazza di Spagna gained most of its fame in the 19th century. Already in these days Rome was a busy tourist-destination and the Piazza di Spagna was the center of the city's hotel area. The caffè Greco on the via Condotti, just 50 meters off the square, was the favourite place of intellectuals as Keats, Byron, Goethe and Bizet. The English tea-rooms of Babington reflect the popularity of the Piazza among British visitors. Though the Piazza di Spagna and area around it are often populated by thick crowds of tourists, it still remains some its elegance and charm. The area houses the most expensive designer shops of the capital and a number of interesting monuments and churches.

The Spanish Steps on the Piazza di Spagna

 
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