Piazza di Spagna
Piazza Spagna and Spanish Steps, Rome
At the top of the Spanish Steps is the French Church of Trinita dei Monti, begun by Louis XII in 1502 and restored after Napoleon occupied Rome. The square and steps take their name from the Spanish legation to the Holy See which has been here since the 17th century. The fountain at the foot of the steps is known as the 'Barcaccia' or boat. Designed by Pietro Bernini in 1627, it is modeled on a boat which he found stranded in the square after a flooding of the Tiber River
