Piazza della Madonna dei Monti – a place not for tourists, picturesque and lively
Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, Fontana dei Catecumeni - Giacomo della Porta
Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, façade of the Church of Santa Maria dei Monti
Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, façade of the Church of SS Sergius and Bacchus
Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, fountain, church façade in the background
Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, Church of Santa Maria dei Monti - interior
It is worth it to come here during the day and sit down in one café, order a prosecco and take in the everyday life happening in front of our eyes. Here, a well-dressed man with a briefcase slowly walks across the square. He stops at a nearby pump, pressing the lower button to direct the stream of water directly into his mouth. A smiling homeless man, mumbling to himself, is checking the contents of the litter bins, probably hoping for an interesting acquisition. People meet one another for lunch, for gossip, or for no reason at all, while the atmosphere of this place is somewhat reminiscent of a small Italian town.
It is worth it to come here during the day and sit down in one café, order a prosecco and take in the everyday life happening in front of our eyes. Here, a well-dressed man with a briefcase slowly walks across the square. He stops at a nearby pump, pressing the lower button to direct the stream of water directly into his mouth. A smiling homeless man, mumbling to himself, is checking the contents of the litter bins, probably hoping for an interesting acquisition. People meet one another for lunch, for gossip, or for no reason at all, while the atmosphere of this place is somewhat reminiscent of a small Italian town.
Near the square there is a Ukrainian church, dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus (Santi Sergio e Bacco). On the other hand the rather simple in form fountain (Fontana dei Catecumeni) standing in the middle, is the work of Giacomo della Porta himself, the very same who created the famous Roman, Jesuit Church of Il Gesù. It always attracts passers-by, who crowd its round stairs. A larger crowd can be encountered in the evening – until late at night there are people seated around the fountain with bottles in their hands. In the morning everything quiets down and then it is possible to peek inside the Church of Santa Maria ai Monti, from which the square took its name and which was designed, in the image of Il Gesù, once again by Giacomo della Porta, standing with its side to the square. Walking upwards from the fountain we enter the via degli Zingari – an atmospheric street, where there is a plaque commemorating Gypsies – the victims of the Second World War, at the outlet of which for centuries the daughters of Corinth have sought happiness. The second street, which is worth taking a walk on, is the via dei Serpenti, with small shops with fancy second-hand clothing, original jewelry, small delicatessen and equally small bars. It connects the two main streets in the city – via Cavour and via Nazionale.
