Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo is the historic North Entrance of Rome.

Porta del Popolo in its current iteration was built for the 1475 Jubilee, thus would have been passed through by Martin Luther on his pilgrimage to Rome.

But the Aurelian Walls were not built until the third century. Thus Via Flaminia, would have terminated not here, but further south at the Servian Wall near the foot of Capitoline Hill.

Via del Corso begins here between Chiesa Santa Maria dei Miracoli on the right, and Basilica di Santa Maria in Montesanto on the left.

Take Via del Corso if you want to head towards Capitoline Hill, and the Roman Forum. Pilgrims would have headed for Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano. La passeggiata begins here.

To reach Vatican City, take the road to the right. Historically this would have meant crossing Ponte Sant’Angelo.

Flaminio Obelisk was quaried in Aswan and brought to Rome in 10BC by Emperor Augustus.

The highlight of Cerasi Chapel are the two Caravaggio paintings Crucifixion of St. Peter (extreme left), and Conversion of Paul (on the right, not visible).

Notice that St Peter is Crucified upside down. Caravaggio was a baroque artists whose paintings are gritty and full of action, precise use of light, and portray everyday working class people as the figures.

Santa Maria del Popolo is a Renaissance Church inside and out.