Piazza del Popolo, Public square in central Rome, Italy
Piazza del Popolo is an oval square in central Rome with three streets extending south and two facing churches at their fork. At the center stands an Egyptian obelisk surrounded by four lion fountains and broad paving stones.
The square was for centuries the entrance to the city for travelers coming from the north and originally lay just outside the walls. Between 1811 and 1822 the architect Giuseppe Valadier transformed the old irregular space into the current oval shape.
The name refers to the poplars that once grew here and to the church of Santa Maria del Popolo on the northern edge. Today the square serves as a meeting point and a starting place for walks through the Roman streets that radiate from it.
The square is reachable through Flaminio metro station on Line A and works well as a starting point for explorations heading south. Early morning and late evening are quieter, while the daytime can be more crowded.
The twin churches Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto look identical from outside but have different floor plans and dome shapes inside. The obelisk was originally carved in the 13th century BCE for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II and later brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus.
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