Learn more about Piazza Venezia in Rome and the adjacent Palazzo Venezia during your Rome visit.
Square in the center of Rome
At the foot of the Capitol Hill lies the Piazza Venezia. Already in ancient Rome this was an important traffic junction, and even today this square is the busiest place in all of Rome, as five major streets meet here. Geographically speaking, you are right in the middle of Rome at Piazza Venezia. There are many interesting buildings in the piazza. To the south of the square rises the Monumento Nazionale, a monument to Italy's first king. Opinions are divided on the beauty of the monument, many consider it simply a monumental nationalist monstrosity while others enthusiastically whip out their cameras. The best thing to do is to see it for yourself.
Also in the piazza is the Palazzo Venezia, from which the square takes its name. As one of the first renaissance buildings of Rome, it was built for the Venetian cardinal Petro Barbo. Very convenient for the cardinal, because right next door was his church, the Basilica San Marco. Later, the building even became a papal palace, as Cardinal Petro Barbo became Pope Paul II. During fascism, Mussolini resided in Palazzo Venezia and made his seditious speeches from its balcony. Now the Palazzo is home to a museum with an important collection of weapons and an impressive collection of precious tapestries. The Basilica of San Marco was built as early as 336, and was almost completely integrated into the palace when the adjacent palazzo was built.
Today, the Palazzo Doria Pamphili at the Piazza shows an exhibition of paintings that is worth seeing. Those who visit it can see famous paintings by Caravaggio as well as the splendour with which the Roman palaces were equipped in former times.
