Piazza del Popolo in Rome

Piazza del Popolo is located at Porta Flaminia, the main northern entrance to Rome and stands at the top of three long streets, the central one being the famous Via del Corso. The square was reconstructed in 1834 by Valadier, who was a very capable architect and did his best to make the place attractive. At the centre of the square there is the Flaminio obelisk, which was brought to Rome by the Emperor Augustus after his conquest of Egypt. The obelisk – a granite monolith block that was built in Egypt in 13th Century BC, during the rule of Ramses and Mineptah dynasties, was placed on the square in 1589 by the order of Pope Sisto V.

The imposing Porta del Popolo has two Neo-Classical buildings on both sides that attract attention immediately. To the left of the porta there is the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, which was reconstructed in the 15th Century by Baccio Pontelli and Andrea Bregno and represents a great example of the Renaissance architecture in Italy. In 1655, the facade was modified by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who changed it to modern Baroque style. In the church you can find several paintings by Caravaggio ('Crucifixion of St Peter' and 'Conversion on the Way to Damascus'), Carracci's ('Assumption of the Virgin'), frescoes by Pinturicchio, several sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Andrea Bregno, decorations of Raphael and others.

Santa Maria in Montesanto is the other church, whose name is associated with Mount Carmel in Jerusalem. The statues of saints on the facade were designed by Bernini and the interior has three chapels and impressive interiors. The first chapel is Cappella di Stana Lucia, the second one is dedicated to Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzi and is designed by Carlo Rainaldi; the third is the Cappella Montioni, designed by Tommaso Mattei – a pupil of Carlo Fontana.