Campo de' Fiori is a very unique square in Rome: surrounded by the simple elegance of Piazza Farnese, by the discreet Piazza della Cancelleria, near Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, which is like a bead linking many pearls (from Largo di Torre Argentina to the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, and ending to the Lungotevere) and not far from the majestic Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori is a break in the elegance and monumentality of the surroundings, to leave room for a simpler, more lively space for the city, a space made available to the people.
The square takes its name (which translates as "Field of the Flowers") from the fact that for the whole Middle Age it was an unpaved area, where still grass and flowers grew freely.
In the 16th-17th Centuries the square, which has the special feature of being the only major square of Rome's center not having any church, was used mainly as a venue for corporal punishments and capital executions. The most famous of these executions took place on February 17th, 1600, when the philosopher and Dominican monk Giordano Bruno, author of many books on philosophy, religion and politics, was burnt at the stake on charge of heresy. The statue, built over 2 centuries later, represents Giordano Bruno, dressed in his monk's robe, holding his most famous works in his hands, and looking with angry eyes in the direction of the Vatican.
Nowadays the square has two different lives: in the morning it's home to one of the liveliest and most traditional Roman markets, which has recently integrated its offer range of traditional local products with spices and other exotic goods, while at night it becomes one of the focal points of Rome's nightlife, given the high concentration of bars, pubs & restaurants, and unfortunately also the stage for some episodes of violence.
This double nature and the history of this square definitely make it one of the favorites for anyone who loves to have a taste of Rome's everyday (and every night...) life.
The square takes its name (which translates as "Field of the Flowers") from the fact that for the whole Middle Age it was an unpaved area, where still grass and flowers grew freely.
In the 16th-17th Centuries the square, which has the special feature of being the only major square of Rome's center not having any church, was used mainly as a venue for corporal punishments and capital executions. The most famous of these executions took place on February 17th, 1600, when the philosopher and Dominican monk Giordano Bruno, author of many books on philosophy, religion and politics, was burnt at the stake on charge of heresy. The statue, built over 2 centuries later, represents Giordano Bruno, dressed in his monk's robe, holding his most famous works in his hands, and looking with angry eyes in the direction of the Vatican.
Nowadays the square has two different lives: in the morning it's home to one of the liveliest and most traditional Roman markets, which has recently integrated its offer range of traditional local products with spices and other exotic goods, while at night it becomes one of the focal points of Rome's nightlife, given the high concentration of bars, pubs & restaurants, and unfortunately also the stage for some episodes of violence.
This double nature and the history of this square definitely make it one of the favorites for anyone who loves to have a taste of Rome's everyday (and every night...) life.
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