Hidden Gems Around Campo de’ Fiori
Campo de’ Fiori may be one of Rome’s most famous squares, but there’s much more to discover just beyond its market stalls and lively cafés. The surrounding streets are filled with elegant palaces, quiet churches, Renaissance architecture, artisan boutiques, and hidden courtyards that reveal the true character of this historic neighborhood. Here are some of the best things to see around Campo de’ Fiori.
Arco degli Acetari
Via del Pellegrino, 19
Within this tiny courtyard steps away from the bustling Campo, time seems to stand still. Arco degli Acetari is a peek into the medieval period of Rome, where external staircases and warm ochres fill the senses of a time long forgotten. Underneath laundry on clotheslines and blooming trees, the arco is a quiet place of refuge for those who seek it (but beware, residents still live within the buildings!)
Cappella Orsini
Via di Grotta Pinta, 21
Every day, 12pm-12am
cappellaorsini.net
Set in the former Chiesa di Santa Maria di Grotta Pinta, the Cappella Orsini is a cultural production center that supports independent creative projects through exhibitions, installations, and more. The aim of the Living Museum is to foster cross-cultural exchange and create a space where new ideas can blossom freely.
Chiesa Santa Barbara dei Librai
Largo dei Librari, 85
Open daily, 9am-12pm, 4pm-6pm
Nestled at the back of a small piazza off Via dei Giubbonari lies this little gem of a chiesa. Though it was consecrated in the 14th century, some believe the church may have been built centuries earlier. Once part of the ruins of the ancient Teatro Pompeo, Chiesa Santa Barbara is home to a 15th century triptych by Leonardo da Roma.
Mercato Campo de’ Fiori
Piazza Campo De’ Fiori
Open Mon-Sat, 7am-2pm
A staple since 1869, the iconic Campo market opens its canopies every morning to welcome visitors in search of local produce – think puntarelle, scarole and broccoletti –, meats and cheeses, and fresh flowers. Set in one of Rome’s most recognizable piazzas, the mercato offers a colorful snapshot of everyday Roman life; it is just as much about the spectacle as it is the shopping, with vendors calling out and locals haggling over prices.
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Food markets in Rome
Palazzo Farnese
Piazza Farnese, 67
visite-palazzofarnese.it
The Palazzo Farnese, now the French Embassy in Rome, is an example of high Renaissance architecture. Alessandro Farnese – the Cardinal at the time – commissioned its construction in 1514, with later expansion upon his papacy as Pope Paul III. The inside, with frescoed ceilings by Carracci and Zuccari, can be visited by guided tour purchased exclusively through their website.
Read more here: www.romeing.it/visit-palazzo-farnese/Palazzo & Galleria Spada
Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13
Mon-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm; Tues Closed
Entry fee €6
The palazzo, purchased by Cardinal Bernardino Spada (1594-1661) in 1632 is perhaps best known for Francesco Borromini’s infamous trompe l’oeil (forced perspective) near the courtyard’s entrance. The artistic collection houses 16th and 17th century pieces by artists such as Reni, Gentileschi, Baccicio, and the Caravaggisti.
Read more here: www.romeing.it/palazzo-spada-rome/Via Giulia
Commissioned by Pope Julius II and executed by Bramante, this long street runs from Ponte Sisto to the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini. Built during the reorganization of Rome’s older medieval plan. Via Giulia today is lined with artisan shops and vintage boutiques. Quiet and shadowy, it is the perfect place for a romantic stroll, no matter the season.
Read more here: www.romeing.it/via-giulia/INSPIRATION
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Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte Church
Via Giulia, 262
Open by appointment only
For the visits please contact the Amici del Tevere association
Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte is one of Via Giulia’s most unusual churches, a Baroque monument to mortality once linked to a confraternity that buried Rome’s abandoned dead. Its skull-decorated façade and haunting underground ossuary make it one of the city’s most fascinating hidden sights.
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