A Walk Through Time
Tags: campo de fiori, dei coronari, dell' orologio, farnese, Italy, la madonnella, piazza navona, Rome, tour, walk
Rome boasts some of the most beautiful sights in all of Europe. Exquisite gems hide behind many street and down many alley ways, unfortunately many of them remain unknown to visiting tourists. The following walking tour will give you the means to explore these beautiful artifacts.
Many are unaware that since the days of antiquity, many buildings in the city have housed holy statues and illustrations. These temple-like structures, known as “aedicules”, served as a form of divine protection. As Christianity swept over Italy, a majority of these altars were replaced with Christian imagery such as the Virgin Mary and the Saints. Over the centuries, a majority of these aedicules were lost, but fortunately some still remain, embellishing the buildings of central Rome with centuries long gone. There are approximately 500 of these original aedicules scattered around Rome, some of them dating back to the 16th century.
Following this walking tour for approximately an hour, you will have a chance to see the most important aedicules between Piazza Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit a number of enchanting Roman streets, rich with an abundance of ancient buildings, churches, traditional workshops, and small restaurants. The walking tour starts from Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, a busy market place during the day which transforms into one of the most popular nightlife spots in the city.
The tour then continues on to Piazza Farnese, where you will have a chance to snap photographs of the elegant residences once belonging to the Farnese noble family. Next, you will visit the dei Cappellari and the del Pellegrino. The tour will then progress to via del Governo Vecchio until you reach Piazza dell’ Orologio. Here, a visit at the Church Chiesa Nuova is a must. Continue to dei Coronari where you will find the oldest temple in Rome, built by Antonio da San Gallo in 1523.
Continue to Piazza di Tor Sanguigna, where on the corner of dei Coronari you can see the aedicule of “La Madonnella”, one of the most beautiful aedicules in Rome. It depicts the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels and cherubs. The tour will come to an end in the infamous Piazza Navona, where you can find another gorgeous aedicule, located at the building just behind the statue of Neptune.
It’s an intimate journey seldom seen by most tourists, hopefully you’ll enjoy it.
