Rotunda Square

Rotunda Square, also known as Piazza del Pantheon, got its name in honor of the ancient temple of pagan gods - the Pantheon located in the center of it.

It is an ancient Roman temple built in honor of the gods of Olympus. The first Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa in 27-25 BC. The magnificent building was completely destroyed by fire in 80. It was later destroyed and rebuilt many times before undergoing major changes under Hadrian (115-127). The final design of the building belongs to the architect Apollodorus of Damascus.

The great artist Michelangelo described the construction of the Pantheon as "an angelic, not a human creation." For it is indeed one of the most extraordinary structures ever built by human hands.

In the early seventh century, the Pantheon was converted into a Christian basilica and named Santa Maria della Rotonda.

In the center of the square is the Renaissance Fountain, built around 1575 by Giacomo della Porta. Initially, the fountain pool housed porphyry and two stone lions. In the eighteenth century, Pope Clement XI ordered the reconstruction of the fountain, it was crowned with the so-called "Obelisk", a small monolith of the time of Ramses II.

Rotunda Square is a favorite place for street musicians.