The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Spagna) sweep down in a cascade of balustrades and balconies to Piazza di Spagna. In the nineteenth century, they were a hangout for young hopefuls hoping to be chosen as artists’ models, and not much has changed. These days, the steps are still a stage for posing, people-watching, and flirting late into the summer nights.

They're a classic stop on any classic Italy trip, though the only Spanish thing about them is that they lead down to the Spanish Embassy, which also gave the piazza its name.

Trinità dei Monti

At the top of the Spanish Steps is the Trinità dei Monti, a largely sixteenth-century church designed by Carlo Maderno and paid for by the French king. Its rose-coloured Baroque facade overlooks the rest of Rome from its hilltop site, and it’s worth clambering up just for the views. Do look inside for a couple of works by Daniele da Volterra, notably a soft, flowing fresco of the Assumption in the third chapel on the right, which includes a portrait of his teacher Michelangelo, and a Deposition across the nave.

Top image: Spanish Steps in Rome. Italy © Phant/Shutterstock