Rome's Piazza di Spagna: all you need to know to enjoy it

The Piazza Spagna is one of the most magical places in all of Rome, and is surrounded by some of the most significant monuments. It also has restaurants that offer typical local food and other dishes that will delight your palate. Without a doubt, a must on your list of things to see and do in Rome.

In this article I will tell you everything you need to see to enjoy all the charm of the place, knowing each enclave without having to miss any of them.

The best way to get to know a place is with an expert guide who will tell you all its secrets. In Piazza di Spagna you can take a tour to know the most significant and beautiful monuments of the city. In this type of tour you will also get to know:

• Via del Condotti

This street of Rome starts in Piazza di Spagna and its name comes from the canals that lead to the thermal waters of Agrippa. As it is very close to the square, it is very popular with tourists, so much so that it is the most fashionable shopping centre in Rome. As it is the biggest shopping centre in the city, here is an article about the 10 best things to buy so that you can take home a souvenir.

• Villa Borghese

The Villa Borghese is a park in the city of Rome that has different styles of Italian style gardens with large areas and ponds, English style and fountains. This large park has 9 entrances and one of them is the PIazza Spagna and inside it has museums, buildings and attractions such as the Villa Borghese Pinciana, so when you enter you will enjoy different attractions in the same place. Here is an article about tickets to the Borghese Gallery which will be useful if you decide to extend this part of the visit.

• Piazza Del Popolo

Many tours go from Piazza Spagna to Piazza del Popolo which is one of the most famous squares in Rome. In this square you will find 3 churches, where you can see their architecture and baroque style. These churches give the square a unique style and it is very popular with tourists.

This square is known as Piazza di Spagna because it is home to the Spanish Embassy. It is one of the most emblematic places in Rome. The staircase is called a stairway to heaven, because it is a perfectly constructed place with steps made of marble.

Near the square there are places where you can buy a delicious ice cream to enjoy the beautiful view and structure of the place. The Donne Sotto le Stelle parade, one of the events that take place in July in Rome, dresses up the square. It is perfect to go there on that date to see the parade.

It is ideal to walk there in the evening and sit on the steps to enjoy the sunset in the company of other tourists.

It is a baroque style fountain in the shape of a boat and is engraved with the family coats of arms. It is located in the middle of the Piazza di Spagna and it is possible to take amazing pictures of it in a unique style.

You will find this fountain as you go down the marble steps. If you go to Rome in summer you will find that the fountain is a welcome relief from the sweltering heat of Rome.

The central monument of the Piazza di Spagna is the church of the Trinità del Monte. It is located at the top of the staircase, with a Gothic style and a façade adorned with symmetrical bell towers.

From the church you can see the beautiful view of the surrounding area. To get there, you can take a bus or the Rome metro. Visits are available from Tuesday to Sunday from 6:30 to 20:00. Admission is free, but it is common in many churches in Rome to be asked to make a donation for its upkeep.

If you are visiting the Piazza di Spagna you should not overlook the restaurants around it. They have unique dishes with typical foods, but not only that, they also offer different dishes for all the people who visit the place.

Alla Rampa

This restaurant is suitable for vegetarians and with the option to create gluten-free or vegan dishes. You can find Italian food with Roman specialities.

They offer meals for dinner, lunch, brunch and are always open late. Meal prices range from 4,50 € to 16,00 €.

Fashion It Caffe' Restaurant

Close to PIazza Spagna is this 4 star restaurant, serving Mediterranean and Italian food. It has outdoor seating so you can enjoy Rome's pleasant climate and scenery.

Also, their service is quality, they are experts at making desserts and cocktails. Their prices are affordable enough for the whole family to eat.

La Degusteria del Bergamotto

Another restaurant you should not miss is La Degusteria del Bergamotto. It is located very close to the square with a simple but elegant decoration and unique dishes. Its meals are especially for lunches and dinners, with the best wines that Rome has to offer.

One thing about this restaurant is that it includes WiFi so you can still do your favourite activities with your phone. It has a jazz bar that offers a relaxed and quiet atmosphere.

To eat there, you must make your reservation in advance. Gift cards are also available. Prices range from 12,00 € to 22,00 €.

Ristorante Leonardo

It has an elegant decoration with grey and white colours that give a unique touch to the place. It is suitable for people who are vegetarian and like to eat gluten-free.

It is always open until late at night, so if you have spent your time looking around PIazza Spagna you can come to this place to enjoy a tasty dish.

It also has a terrace for you to eat outdoors and its prices are around €10.

La Strega Nocciola

One thing that makes this restaurant stand out is that all its food is Italian and you can order take-away. In addition, the prices range from €2,50, €3,50, €4,50 or €6,50. The restaurant's main attraction is its desserts and the most popular selling point is its ice cream.

This is a museum dedicated to the romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats, located east of the Piazza Spagna. The building preserves various memorabilia from the lives of these writers and poets.

The large collection includes sculptures, manuscripts, paintings and first editions that recall the lives of the poets to whom they pay homage. The museum also has the largest and best library of Romantic literature in the world, to which thousands of volumes are added every year.

Keats-Shelley House tickets and opening times

You can buy tickets directly from the ticket office. Ticket prices are:

• Children under 6 years: Free admission.
• Adults: Around €6.
• Over 65s and under 18s: Approximately €5.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00. So if you are a fan of poetry and romance, you must stop by this unique place in the world.

This magnificent work is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception which was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in Roman style. It is also composed of a marble base and supported by cipollino marble. The column is twelve metres long and supports a bronze statue of the Virgin at its top.

The feast of 8 December

This site is very important for the people who live there because every 8th December they celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. All the people come together to offer baskets of roses together with the holy father. These flowers symbolise the love of the inhabitants of the city, feeling that they are children of the Virgin Mary.

It is a very beautiful event full of joy and peace, so if you plan to visit Rome in December, don't hesitate to come and enjoy this unique celebration in the world.

After having walked the entire Piazza di Spagna you can stop by this elegant café, the oldest in the city. It is also the third oldest café in the world, which means it is steeped in history.

It is located on Via del Condotti, just a few steps from the Spanish Steps. The café used to be frequented by artists and intellectuals. It is a place with decoration and atmosphere that transports you to other times, also, it is a kind of gallery because of all the exhibits. It is very visited by tourists because of the type of architecture it has and the pictures it has, making it an unbeatable café.

The room has the name of ''Ominibus'' keeping multiple works of art and memories to those characters that went to the café. Among these important people is María Zambrano, who often went to the café.

The Mausoleum of Augustus is located near the Piazza di Spagna and can be reached by walking to the river. This monument is one of the most important in Ancient Rome.

You can see its circular structure covered in white marble. It is surrounded by beautiful evergreen trees and a statue of the founder of this monument. Inside, there are concentric corridors that are joined together, with chambers that support the roof. In its central hall, there are two circular drums covered with earth, and at its entrance there are two obelisks.

Over the years it has been used as a medieval fortress, an ornamental garden, a bullring and a stage for concerts. Today, after an arduous restoration, it is a tourist site for the world.

Undoubtedly, a place full of history and charm; a visit is a must.

Finally, five minutes away from Piazza di Spagna you will find one of the most charming and characteristic streets of the city of Rome, also present in films such as ''Roman Holiday'' and in songs. It is located between Piazza Spagna and Piazza del Popolo and its name is Via Margutta.

Via Margutta is a magical place where citizens and tourists stroll in peace and quiet. Also, ivy and creepers cover the facades of the palaces. This road has art and antique galleries, restoration workshops and handicraft shops.

These are all things you can see and do in the Piazza di Spagna to enjoy all its wonderful monuments and enter its restaurants to taste the tasty dishes on offer.

And if that's not enough (which I don't think it is), there is also the option of getting to know the city with night tours of Rome so you can experience the square from a different perspective.