Dominated by the great Flaminio Obelisk, erected in 1589 by Pope Sixtus V, piazza del Popolo is the last great architectural work of Papal Rome. It is accessed by Porta del Popolo (formerly Porta Flaminia) which was the northern entrance to the city and the required entryway for most pilgrims.
To the side of the gate is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo, built in 1099 by Pope Paschal II. In the 1600s, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned to restructure the Basilica and the inside facing of the gate, and the “twin churches” of Santa Maria in Montesanto (1675, also known as the Artists’ Church) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1678) were built, today they form two poles of the triangular urban grid formed by via del Babbuino, via del Corso e via di Ripetta.
The definitive styling of the square is the work of Giuseppe Valadier in the 1800’s: he was responsible for the treelined avenue that leads up to the Pincio and the large fountain of Goddess Rome, still fed by waters from the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct.
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