Rome: Fountains & Squares with Tasting, Half day Small Group Tour

meeting point in front of the hotel Hassler

An extraordinary masterpiece of the eighteenth century, the steps of Trinità dei Monti are the connection between the Pincio hill and the Piazza di Spagna below, at that time separated by a bare, steep and muddy hill. It was built between 1723 and 1726 by the architect Francesco De Sanctis, commissioned by Cardinal Pierre Guérin de Tencin. It was inaugurated on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1725 by Pope Benedict XIII. Built in travertine, the staircase is made up of 11 flights, each made up of 12 steps that divide, meander, reunite, continuously changing direction. A series of balustrades accompanies the ramps which interrupt the steep difference in height and function as a resting point and landscape enjoyment. The grandiose structure, which established a connection between an area of the city with a strong French presence with the Spanish colony below, constitutes an architectural space that serves both for transit and, above all, as a meeting place and pleasant rest.

Piazza di Spagna is one of the most famous and visited squares in Rome. In the center stands the Barcaccia Fountain, designed and sculpted in Baroque style by Pietro and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Located in an extraordinary position in the center of the city, in Campo Marzio, Piazza di Spagna represents an internationally renowned place. Piazza di Spagna, with its characteristic butterfly shape like two triangles that intersect at the vertices, as well as being a symbolic monument of the majestic Roman Baroque, is today one of the most exclusive meeting places in Rome, with its palaces, sumptuous hotels , famous restaurants, shops and designer ateliers. The most famous shopping streets such as via Condotti, via del Babuino and via Borgognona branch off from here.

Trevi Fountain is the most famous of the Roman fountains, its name derives from the confluence of three streets in the square, or from the triple outlet of the water of the original fountain. The construction of the current Trevi fountain is due to Pope Clement XII who, in 1732, among the various projects presented, that of the architect Nicola Salvi was chosen. In the center dominates the statue of Oceanus driving the shell-shaped chariot, pulled by the angry horse and the placid horse, braked by two tritons. Before leaving, don't forget to throw a coin into the fountain, you will definitely return to Rome, as custom says. If, however, you're looking for a bit of romance, perhaps even Italian love, you'll need to flip a second and third coin to ensure the wedding bells ring soon.

“The most beautiful remnant of Roman antiquity, the Pantheon is indeed one of the best preserved examples of Roman monumental architecture. Its history begins in 27 BC, when Marco Vipsanio Agrippa had the first temple built in this area dedicated to "all the gods". However, its current form is due to Hadrian who had it rebuilt between 118 and 125 AD, enlarging it, reversing its orientation and opening a large porticoed square in front of the new temple. The large circular cell is surrounded by thick masonry walls and eight large pillars on which the weight of the characteristic hemispherical concrete dome, larger than that of St. Peter's Basilica, is distributed. What is most surprising about the architecture of the Pantheon is its size: the height of the building is equal to the diameter of the dome, just over 43 metres, a characteristic that reflects the classic canons of rational Roman architecture.

Piazza Navona is one of the most spectacular and characteristic urban complexes of Baroque Rome. The square is delimited by the buildings that arose on the remains of the Stadium of Domitian, whose shape and dimensions are preserved. The original shape of the square faithfully imitates the perimeter of the ancient stadium that Domitian had built for athletics and horse racing. The square is dominated by the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, begun by Carlo and Girolamo Rainaldi and completed by Borromini, who significantly modified it, making it one of the most magnificent baroque architectures in Rome. Next to the church, there is Palazzo Pamphili, in front of the palace stands the church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore, also known as San Giacomo degli Spagnoli. Three fountains adorn the square: the Fontana del Moro, the Fontana de' Calderari, also known as the Fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Near the Vatican Museums there is "CANTINA DEL DUCA", a famous cellar and bistro where you can taste Roman Cuisine and Taste the best Italian wines.