Piazza del Popolo

I sat down on the steps of Piazza del Popolo at 7 am on a Thursday morning with a small pastry and a newspaper and watched the Roman community come to life. What a great place to get a truly authentic sense of the Southern Italian day in this "People's Square". As the day unfolds, the whole piazza fills with a golden warm light in the summer. Not only is it extremely enjoyable watching the people come through, but the architecture is incredible. Bordering the piazza are beautifully carved fountains, the magnificent twin churches, and a great Egyptian obelisk! I highly recommend visiting this area as a perfect start to a day full of sightseeing.

Roma is by far and away my favorite city in the world. Having lived there two summers ago, and being adventurous, I love to explore. Many squares liter Roma, as they do throughout Italian cities. Piazza del Popolo (Square of the People), is exactly that, one for the people. It is my favorite place in Roma, excluding of course my favorite restaurant but that is for another review! Taking the metro there is an adventure by itself, but once stepping out from the underground and crossing the busy intersection, you are hit with the sheer size of the square. In the center stands one of, I believe, the seven Egyptian Obelisks throughout the city (try and find them all!). Surrounding the Obelisk are four lions spewing water where people wash their hands or fill their water bottles and children climb. Laughter, music, the clicking of cameras are all common noises around this square. On either end stand massive statues to the Greek God Poseidon and along the rim of the square sit benches where everyone from tourists to students to office workers sit, relax, have a cigarette or just catch some sun. The best part of the square may be Villa Borghese which stands just above the square. It is the most beautiful of gardens and taking a quick walk to the top allows you to see the vast majority of the city. Especially brilliant at sunset. A wonderful place to visit.

Me and romans spends much time here, is great spot to meet with friend before cafe. Is very beautiful piazza to, much life and action. Is beautiful fountains in centre to. Is nice walk to the Villa Borghese, where is a good museum and good vista of our home city. The tartars has reason. Much romans much young peoples in the piazza. The bar Rosati is good for the drinking. Much nice sympatetic peoples in the bar. Is very nice for aperitivo to. Also much beautiful church in piazza for looking in day.

When I first arrived in Rome, Piazza del Popolo was just another way to get up to Villa Borghese. When I started hanging out with a few locals, however, Piazza del Popolo, as it turned out, was one of their spots. I suppose since most people are sidetracked towards the Piazza di Spagna, it’s only a handful of tourists that write this piazza onto their list, and for the better—you’re more likely to hear Italian than English (which is rare in Roman tourist spots), and the streets surrounding the Piazza are full of restaurants and bars that are more locals’ joints than anywhere else in the city center.

This is a very special place to visit while in Rome. It is incredibly historical, as the term "all roads lead to Rome" steamed from this piazza. The fountain and gates are beautiful, however the best thing to do when visiting Piazza del Popolo is to hike above the piazza for an amazing view of Rome's skyline. Go during the day or the night (I recommend doing both) to experience Rome in an unique way.