Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo is one of the most popular place for foreigners in Rome. The oval square is located near the Borghese Park and features an authentic obelisk from Heliopolis, Egypt. On the north side, the Porta del Popolo leads to the the Via Flaminia,a route built 220 to connect Rome with the Adriatic coast. During the Middle Ages, the route constituted the main entrance to the city for pilgrims and travelers. The obelisk of Ramses II was later placed in 10 BC in the center of the square by Pope Sixtus V, being the second oldest and one of the tallest in Rome.

The square is the intersection of the streets: the Via del Corso in the centre, the Via del Babuino on the left and the Via di Ripetta on the right. At the junction of the roads stand twin churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681) and Santa Maria in Montesanto (1679), which were commissioned by pope Alexander VII in 1658 and designed by Carlo Rainaldi.

Many works of art are found inside the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo: frescoes by Pinturicchio located inside theDella Rovere chapel, sculptures by Sansovino on two funeral monuments; paintings by Caravaggio inside the Chapel Cerasi and finally the Chigi Chapel, on project by Raffaello Sanzio. Its current aspect was given by G.Valadier, who created two semi-cycles, arranged a slope of the terrace of Pincio, and built four constructions on the corners of the square.