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WALKING TOURS OF ROME

Piazza del Campidoglio

30/7/2019

 
Map
Aerial view of Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Aerial view of Piazza del Campidoglio

Surrounded on three sides by stately palaces, the Piazza del Campidoglio, a superb piece of town planning, is one of the most beautiful civic spaces in Rome. 

The Piazza del Campidoglio was designed by Michelangelo, who added the balustrade on the open side and the Cordonata, the stepped ramp leading up to it. The colossal statues of Castor and Pollux were unearthed in the 16th century. To either side of them are the so-called 'Trophies of Marius'. The statues of the emperor Constantine the Great and his son Constantine II come from the Baths of Constantine on the Quirinal Hill, while the columns at each end of the balustrade were the first and seventh milestones of the Via Appia. 

At the back of the piazza is the Palazzo Senatorio, while on either side stand the Palazzo dei Conservatori (south) and the Palazzo Nuovo. The 
Palazzo dei Conservatori dates back to the 15th century, but its facade is the work of Michelangelo. The Palazzo Nuovo, whose facade is almost a replica of that of Palazzo dei Conservatori, was not built until the middle of the 17th century. 

In the centre of the square, on a base designed by Michelangelo, stands the bronze
equestrian statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180). The statue is a copy; the original is on display in the Musei Capitolini, the museum that is housed in the two side palaces. 

Michelangelo's distinctive design for the pavement of the piazza wasn't realised until 1940. 

Aerial view of Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Aerial view of Piazza del Campidoglio
The Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Piazza del Campidoglio
Palazzo dei Conservatori, Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Palazzo dei Conservatori
Palazzo Nuovo, Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Palazzo Nuovo
Statues of Castor and Pollux, Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Castor and Pollux at the top of the Cordonata
Castor and Pollux, Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Castor and Pollux
Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
'Trophy of Marius', Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
'Trophy of Marius'
Equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
Equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (copy)
Image of the Piazza del Campidoglio in 1618
Image of Piazza del Campidoglio in 1618

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    Walking Tours For Discerning Travellers

    My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private and
    small-group walking tours
    of Rome.

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  • Home
  • Private Tours
  • Small-Group Tours
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • St Peter's Basilica
    • Altars >
      • Altar of St Joseph
      • Altar of St Gregory the Great
      • Altar of the Madonna of Succour
      • Altar of St Sebastian
      • Altar of the Lie
      • Altar of the Presentation of the Virgin
      • Altar of St Jerome
      • Altar of the Transfiguration
      • Altar of Pope Leo the Great
    • Monuments >
      • Countess Matilda of Canossa
      • Maria Clementina Sobieska
      • Queen Christina of Sweden
      • Pope Innocent VIII
      • Pope Paul III
      • Pope Gregory XIII
      • Pope Gregory XIV
      • Pope Leo XI
      • Pope Urban VIII
      • Pope Alexander VII
      • Pope Clement X
      • Pope Innocent XI
      • Pope Alexander VIII
      • Pope Innocent XII
      • Pope Benedict XIV
      • Pope Clement XIII
      • Pope Pius VII
      • Pope Leo XII
      • Pope Pius VIII
      • Pope Gregory XVI
      • Pope Pius X
      • Pope Benedict XV
      • Pope Pius XI
      • Pope Pius XII
      • Pope John XXIII
      • The Stuarts
    • Portico >
      • Door of Death
      • Door of Good and Evil
      • Central Door
      • Door of the Sacraments
      • Holy Door
    • Pieta
    • Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
    • Cathedra Petri
    • Crossing >
      • Baldacchino
      • Confessio
      • Dome
      • St Longinus
      • St Helena
      • St Veronica
      • St Andrew
    • St Peter
    • Chapel of the Choir
    • Chapel of the Baptistery
    • Nave
  • Sistine Chapel
    • North Wall
    • South Wall
    • East Wall
    • Ceiling: Part One >
      • Ceiling: Part Two
      • Ceiling: Part Three
    • The Last Judgement
  • Fountains
    • Trevi Fountain
    • Fontana della Barcaccia
    • Fountain of the Triton
    • Fountain of the Bees
    • Fountain of Moses
    • Fountain of the Four Rivers
    • Fountain of the Acqua Paola
    • Fountain of the Turtles
    • Fountain of the Naiads
    • Fountain of the Cannonball
    • Piazza del Popolo
    • Fountain of the Pantheon
    • Fountains of Piazza Farnese
    • Fountain of Goddess Roma
    • Rioni Fountains
    • Street Fountains
    • Venice Marries the Sea
    • St Peter's Square
    • Fountain of the Moor
    • Fountain of Neptune
    • Fountain of the Porter
    • Fountain of the Seahorses
  • Gallery
    • Piazzas >
      • Piazza del Campidglio
      • Piazza del Quirinale
      • Piazza del Popolo
      • Piazza di Spagna
      • Piazza Navona
      • Piazza S. M. in Trastevere
      • Piazza San Pietro
    • Mosaics
    • Fountains
    • Churches
    • Ancient Rome
    • Palaces
    • Domes
    • Papal Coats of Arms
    • Street Shrines
    • Old Photographs
    • Borromini & the Baroque