Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
elements from the surrounding area, but to many Italians his “big box” is a far-
too-modern addition to the area.
Following down the Via Ripetta from here will take you to Piazza Navona, so
if you've already done that in conjunction with the Pantheon (p. 58), wind your
way through this charming patchwork neighborhood and across to the Via del
Corso to explore the rest of the area. There are several stops you can make along
the Via del Corso and close to the Spanish Steps, though most are esoteric in
nature, so pick and choose as your taste dictates.
For those interested in literature, your choices range from the
Casa di Goethe
(Via del Corso, 18;
%
06-32650412; www.casadigoethe.it; adults
€
3, seniors and
students
€
2; Tues-Sun 10am-6pm),
which has a collection of the German poet's
diaries and letters, to the 18th-century
Keats-Shelley Memorial House
(Piazza di
Spagna, 26;
%
06-6784235; www.keats-shelley-house.org;
€
3.50; Mon-Fri
9am-1pm and 3-6pm; Sat 11am-2pm and 3-6 pm),
which is a treasure trove for
fans of the two poets. Here you'll find Keats's death mask and an urn with some
of Shelley's remains, as well as many volumes of letters and handwritten diaries.
If you are interested instead in modern art, visit the
Galleria Communale
d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
(Via Francesco Crispi, 25;
%
06-4742848;
€
2.60; Tues-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun until 2pm),
with some wonderful post-1950s
works. Also farther down the Via del Corso is
Palazzo Doria Pamphilj
5
(Piazza
del Collegio Romano, 2;
%
06-6797323; adults
€
8, seniors and students
€
7.50;
gallery Fri-Wed 10am-5pm),
which houses one of Italy's most impressive private
art collections, owned by the Pamphilj family, including Caravaggio's
Rest on the
Flight into Egypt
and
Mary Magdalene,
as well as Raphael's
Double Portrait
and
scores more. This gallery is tucked in a small part of a 1,000-room
palazzo.
At the
time of this writing, the gorgeous apartments are not open to the public, which
makes this museum less interesting.
A third option in this area, whose exhibit schedule is worth checking, is the
Museo del Corso
(Via del Corso, 320;
%
06-6786209; www.museodelcorso.it;
Tues-Sun 10am-8pm),
a popular venue for big-name exhibits. It also has an
Internet cafe in the coffee bar.
From the Via del Corso you can easily reach the
Spanish Steps
(Piazza di
Spagna), which are, unfortunately, currently adorned with huge billboards hiding
the seemingly never-ending work at the church of Trinita dei Monti at the top.
Here you can sit and take in the spectacle of locals—primarily 20-somethings—
socializing; it's packed with people year-round. The restaurants and wine bars in
this area are trendy and the hotels here tend to be very pricey.
Just across the busy Via Tritone from here is the
Trevi Fountain
(Piazza di
Trevi), which was built in the 1700s over the mouth of an aqueduct built in 19
B
.
C
.
to bring the famously therapeutic
Aqua Vergine
25km (16 miles) from the hills
outside of Rome. Bernini was originally given the job, but was redirected to Piazza
Navona to sculpt the Fountain of the Four Rivers (p. 60) instead. The facade was
designed by Nicolo Salvi, who many say died of a virus he contracted while over-
seeing the project before it was completed in 1762. Look specifically at the sculp-
tures of Neptune and the angry horse, which are said to represent the angry sea.
The origin of the name Trevi is disputed, believed either to be for a young girl
named Trivia who showed the emperor Agrippa an original spring on the site, or
from the phrase
“regio trevii,”
which may refer to the three streets surrounding the
fountain. It is customary to throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain
