PIAZZA DEL CAMPIDOGLIO (CAPITOL SQUARE)

The Capitol was Rome's natural fortress. Dominating on one side the Tiber and on the other side the valley of the Forum, it allowed the Romans to control the crossing and the ascent of the river. It is therefore a place that has seen 2,500 years of history pass by. The city administration has always been held there, and the city hall is still there today. The site consists of two hills: to the north is the Arx Hill, where today is the church of Santa Maria d'Aracoeli, to the south is the Capitolium. Between the two is the intermontum (the current Place du Capitole). The Capitol was also the religious centre of ancient Rome, it hosted the temple of Jupiter which was located on the site of the current Palace of the Conservatives.

In the centre of the two nipples of the Capitoline Hill, the Capitoline Square was the religious and political heart of ancient Rome. The current aspect is the work of Michelangelo who drew the plans in 1536 at the request of Pope Paul III. The master succeeded in creating an illusion of grandeur in this space which is actually quite small. The square, already occupied by the palaces of the Conservatives and Senators of the Roman period, was completed by a third palace, the Palazzo Nuovo. It is oriented towards the modern city, towards the Vatican, by the staircase surrounded by the ancient statues of Castor and Pollux. These palaces now house the Capitol's museums. The Palazzo dei Senatori houses the headquarters of the City of Rome. Designed by Michelangelo, this building was built by his students Giacomo della Porta and Rainaldi who completed it in 1605. Michelangelo, however, never saw this square completed, because its construction was not completed until a century later. However, the respect of the indications of the original project manager gives this square a unity of style that is quite rare in Rome.

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. In the centre of the square is a copy of the statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback (the original is in the courtyard of the Capitoline Museums and is worth a visit on its own!). Exceptional of its kind, made of gilded bronze, it is dated 179 AD. It is the only equestrian statue of ancient Rome that has survived. At that time, Rome had more than twenty of them, all of which were destroyed. Legend has it that the legend of Marcus Aurelius was saved because he was mistaken for Constantine I, the first Christian Roman emperor. The statue was then renamed "Caballus Constantini".