Welcome to Piazza di Spagna
Making the Most of Your Time
This neighborhood is chock-full of postcard-worthy sights, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Victor Emanuel monument (Il Vittoriano), which means a long, rewarding walk alongside plenty of tourists. Consider starting early or taking an evening stroll, when many of the area’s must-sees (including the Trevi Fountain) are lighted. Shoppers flock to Via del Corso, though in recent years the street has been given over mostly to multinational chains. Poke through backstreets instead; Rome’s swankiest boutiques and designers are on Via del Babuino and the surrounding streets.
Top Reasons to Go
Trevi Fountain: Iconic would be an understatement—this is the Elvis of waterworks: overblown, flashy, and reliably thronged by legions of fans.
The Spanish Steps: Lounge seductively on the world's most celebrated stairway—everyone's doing it.
The Ceiling of San Ignazio: Stand beneath the stupendous ceiling of San Ignazio—Rome's most splendiferous Baroque church—and, courtesy of painter-priest Fra Andrea Pozzo, prepare to be transported heavenward.
Fabulous Palazzos: Visit the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj and the Palazzo Colonna for an intimate look at the homes of Rome's 17th-century grandees.
Luxe Shopping on Via Condotti: You can flit from Bulgari to Gucci to Valentino to Ferragamo with no effort at all.
Getting Here
The Piazza di Spagna is a short walk from Piazza del Popolo, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. One of Rome's handiest subway stations, Spagna, is tucked just left of the steps. Buses No. 117 (from the Colosseum) and No. 119 (from Piazza del Popolo) hum through the area; the latter tootles up Via del Babuino, famed for its shopping.
Quick Bites
Babington's Tea Rooms. At the left foot of the Spanish Steps is Babington's Tea Rooms, which has catered to the refined tea and scone cravings of travelers since opening in 1893. The blends are carefully designed and can be brought to the homey tables in this historic restaurant alongside a tower of tiny sandwiches or as an accompaniment to risotto and fully loaded salads. But remember that this is not a budgeteer's cup of tea. Linger over a homemade cake and ask the server about the history of the tearooms, which are still family-run 125 years later. Piazza di Spagna 23, Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Latium, 00187. 06/6786027; www.babingtons.com.
Caffè Canova-Tadolini. On chic Via del Babuino, the former studio of Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova and his student Adamo Tadolini is now a wonderfully atmospheric spot for coffee or a snack. Either go for the budget option and take your coffee at the bar while admiring the enormous plaster copies of the maestros' work, or pay for table service and sit amid vast sculptures in this eccentric spot. Food is run-of-the-mill, but the setting is splendid. Via del Babuino 150/A, Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Latium, 00186. 06/32110702; www.canovatadolini.com.
