Piazza di Spagna

This is the beautiful, well known, almost theatrical square with the lovely Spanish steps leading up to the church of Trinità dei Monti. Top on the steps, Trinità dei Monti dominate the city with an astonishing view on the city gives one of the best spectacle in the world.
In the 18th Century, close to Porta Flaminia (Piazza del Popolo), the main entry to the city, this was the Rome's periphery, where the Ciociaras, girls from nearby villages and towns, coming to Rome, dressed up in their finery loitered on the Spanish Steps, waiting to be catch as model by a painter, or to catch a rich but lonely foreigner or pilgrims themselves.
At that time, to catch the milord and rich spenders from the West Europe, came shops, restaurants, hotels, many of which with foreign name, to create the district as it is now.
Giuseppe Vasi published between 1747 and 1761 ten books of etchings on the monuments of Rome.
The plates were grouped by subject: churches, gates, bridges, palaces, villas, etc.. The books became a bestseller among the foreigners visiting Rome. Vasi then wrote a guide for visiting Rome in eight days and driven by the success of this guide he published in 1765 the grand View of Rome. In 1781 he completed his work with a Map of Rome.
The square became an international meeting point, to day a beautiful, central and pedestrian spot. The steps are a permanent meeting place for the young Romans and tourists.
In spring the steps are decorated with hundreds of coloured azaleas.
The square heads off several famous streets such as via del Babuino, dei Condotti, Via Frattina and Via Borgognona with their luxurious boutiques, recent and antique shops.
Urbano Barberini commissioned the fountain known as the 'Barcaccia' (the boat), to commemorate the alliance with the King of France, whose coat of arms can be seen on the steps of Trinità dei Monti together with the ones of Pope Innocent III.
Alessandro Specchi and Francesco de Sanctis designed the Spanish Steps. They connect Piazza di Spagna to the French church of Trinità dei Monti.
The name of the square come from the nearby Spanish Embassy but these beautiful stairs, a sweeping Baroque river of stairs projected by Giacomo della Porta in 1564 on the hill that was a private vineyard, were financed by the French King Louis XV.