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Article Directory » Business and Industry » Travel
| Popular Places in Rome - The Spanish Steps |
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| Written by Sarah Dudleymore |
| Friday, 17 October 2008 06:27 |
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The unique and elegant atmosphere of the Spanish Steps are among the most popular and well know spots in Rome.
The unique and elegant atmosphere of the Spanish Steps are among the most popular and well know spots in Rome. Its 138 steps full of class and elegance, brightens up the square bringing life and energy to this great area. Built in the late 1700s, this area attracts and is still frequented by locals and tourists to absorb its magnificent atmosphere. The Italian name for Spanish Steps is "Scalinata". These are a set of steps in one of the most beutiful areas of Rome. The Spanish Steps were actually, despite of its name, built by the French. The monumental stairway, "Spanish Steps" or "Scalinata di Spagna" were built between 1723 and 1725 with French diplomat tienne Gueffier. You can easily recognize it at the Piazza di Spagna square rectangle like shape. This place is one of the most popular tourist spots in Rome. The Scalinata is no doubt the widest and longest staircase in all Europe. At the base of the Piazza is the Early Baroque fountain called "La Fontana della Barcaccia" ("Fountain of the Old Boat"), built in 1627-29 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Legend has it that, Pope Urban VIII had the fountain installed after he had been impressed by a boat brought here by a flood of the Tiber river. Most people seem to think that Bernini used the Boat as a sign of safety from the common floods once roam the Square from the Tiber River. Pots of beautiful "Azalea" flowers pots cover the stairs in spring (flowering shrubs are part of the genus Rhododendron and subgenus Pentanthera), this is why it's also called "Garden Stairs" from Romans. The weather in Rome can get quite hot, even in the Fall. So the many shops, restaurants and cafes near the Spanish Steps are always crowded but nevertheless absorbing this unique and elegant atmosphere. The steps are not a place for eating lunch, being forbidden by Roman regulations, but in Rome where everything is calm and peaceful, it's likely you will still see some people snacking on a sandwich or "tramezino" (Typical Roman Sandwich) sipping up on a cold drink. Spanish Steps is now also a meeting point and here you can take a ride in a carriage pulled by a horse. The house at the very first step to the right is where John Keats (the English Poet) lived and died in 1821. Today is a museum open to the public dedicated to his memory, full of memorabilia of the English Romantic generation. Halfway up on the right is the apartment you can see the place used for The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (1961). Bob Dylan talks about the "Spanish Stairs" in a classic "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (1971). Perfect harmony surrounded by a baroque context for the modern terraces. When visiting Rome, enjoy the Spanish Steps on your trip. Rent an accommodation near the Spanish Steps and get the best Rome has to offer. |