Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Continue past the church to the
Pantheon
(
Click here
), ancient Rome's best-preserved monument.
Built in 27 BC, modified by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD and consecrated as a Christian church in
608, it's an architectural masterpiece capped by the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.
From the Pantheon, follow signs towards Piazza Navona, stopping off en route for a coffee at
Caffè Sant'Eustachio
(
Click here
), reckoned by many to serve the capital's best coffee. A short hop
away,
Piazza Navona
(
Click here
) is central Rome's showpiece square, where you can compare
the two giants of Roman baroque: Bernini, creator of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, and Borromini,
responsible for the Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone. On the other side of Corso Vittorio Emanuel II,
the busy road that bisects the
centro storico,
life centres on
Campo de' Fiori
(
Click here
). By day
this noisy square stages a colourful market but at night it transforms into a rowdy open-air pub, be-
loved of foreign students and lusty Romans. Just beyond, Piazza Farnese is overlooked by the Renais-
sance
Palazzo Farnese
(
Click here
), home to some superb frescoes that rival the Sistine Chapel's.
To see them, though, you'll need to book well in advance.
TOP OF CHAPTER
1
Tridente, Trevi &
the Quirinale
Rome's premier shopping district, the Tridente district has long attracted foreigners -
Keats, Shelley and Goethe are among the notables to have lived here - and still today vis-
itors flock to the area to browse its boutique-lined streets and hang out on Piazza di
Spagna and the Spanish Steps. A short walk away, the Trevi Fountain is another crowd-
pleaser.
