Piazza del Campidoglio, Renaissance square at Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy
Piazza del Campidoglio is a Renaissance square on the summit of Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy, with three palaces arranged around an oval centerpiece. The trapezoidal layout opens toward the Tiber and creates a unified composition with the Palazzo Senatorio at the back and museum buildings flanking both sides.
Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo in 1536 to redesign the space for the reception of Emperor Charles V. Work began with the relocation of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius and continued for decades, long after Michelangelo's death.
The name comes from the ancient Capitolium, the religious and political heart of Rome. Visitors today gather in front of the Palazzo Senatorio, home to the city government, to take in views over the rooftops.
The site is accessible via the gentle Cordonata ramp, a wide incline with shallow steps rising from street level. Visitors approaching from behind can also use the steeper staircase leading to the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
The star pattern in the pavement was executed only in the 20th century, yet follows precisely Michelangelo's 16th-century design. The oval shape at the center creates an optical illusion that makes the space appear wider than it actually is.
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