| Piazza Colonna (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Piazza Colonna
Photographer Description of Piazza Colonna
Panorama taken from Piazza Colonna in Rome. The column after which the piazza is named stands in the middle of the square. Only the lower part is visible in this panorama.Piazza Colonna - Further Information
Piazza Colonna in Rome is named after the Column of Marcus Aurelius which has stood here since 193 AD. The square is about half way along Via del Corso, which runs from Piazza del Popolo south to Piazza Venezia and the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II.The column in Piazza Colonna was errected by Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, to commemorate his fathers victories in in Armenia, Persia and Germany. It was modeled on Trajan's Column and is 30m high, made of 28 blocks of carrara marble carved with battle scenes. It is topped by a bronze statue of St Paul, which was placed her by Pope Sixtus V in 1589. The square also contains a fountain which dates from the 16C. It was made by Giacomo della Porta who also began the Palazzo Chigi (Chigi Palace) which is on the square.
Also on the square is Palazzo del Vicegerente, whose portico is lined by Roman columns from Veii. This was built in the 19C for Pope Gregorius XVI. Other nearby attractions include the Trevi Fountain and the church of Santa Maria in Monterone.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Metro: Barberini (A)