Piazza del Quirinale - Piazzas of Italy by Ultimate Italy

Piazza Del Quirinale

This piazza is named after the highest of the seven hills of Rome. It is very close to the Trevi Fountain.

By the 1500’s the Vatican had acquired the reputation of being an unhealthy place due to the high incidence of malaria. So Pope Gregory XIII chose this salubrious spot on the highest of Rome’s seven hills to build a summer residence for the popes. Thus the Quirinale Palace was built and many architects shaped its structure before it assumed its present form in the 1730’s. Domenico Fontana designed the main façade. Carlo Maderno designed the immense chapel. Bernini designed the narrow wing that runs through the entire length of Via del Quirinale.

It became the official residence of the king after the unification of Italy in 1870. From 1974 it has become the official residence of the President of the republic of Italy.

The Quirinale fountain and the obelisk with the prancing statues of Castor and Pollux stand in splendor in the piazza.

Castor and Pollux were excellent horsemen and two large statutes of them in their prancing horses adorn the square. These statues are over 5.5 metres high and are copies of the Greek originals of 5th century B.C. They were known as the horse tamers. These statues originally stood in front of the Baths of Constantine. In 1588 Pope Sixtus V had them restored and placed them in Piazza Quirinale.

The obelisk, which is placed between them, was brought here in 1786. It is one in a pair of obelisks. The other one stands at the Piazza de’Esquillino. It was unearthed from the ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus in 1781. It is made of red granite. There is no inscription on this obelisk hence it may be a Roman copy. However some historians assume that it was transported from Egypt probably in the late first century.

In 1818 the composition was completed by the addition of the fountain, the fountain of the Dioscuri. It is a beautiful fountain, which has a massive granite basin. It was once a cattle trough in the Forum. The combination of these monuments is truly unique.

The Quirinale Stables whose façade makes up one side of this majestic square once housed over one hundred and twenty horses. These horses were for the exclusive use of the Pope and his guests. They stand directly opposite to the main entrance of the Quirinale Palace. Pope Innocent XIII commissioned Alexander Specchi, one of the greatest contemporary architects, to build them. For a long period of time they were closed to the public. But due to the Jubilee celebrations this historic building has been transformed into a unique space for exhibitions.

The Piazza del Quirinale has buildings on three sides while the fourth side is open giving a splendid view of the city with the St. Peter’s dome in the distance. A visit to this square is wish of every tourist.