SANT'ANDREA DELLA VALLE
Walk two short blocks from Campo dei Fiori to one of the city's most beautiful and important churches, Sant Andrea della Valle. The interior is elaborately decorated in the Baroque style and boasts the second highest dome in Rome after St. Peter's. Step inside the huge church to admire its beautiful design, mostly created between 1590 and 1650; the façade came a bit later, and many decorative elements were added in the following centuries. This is the first of many important churches we will recommend for your time in Rome – not all 500, and not so many that "they all look alike," but just enough to dazzle you.
The wealth of Roman society was poured into creating decorations for these churches, especially during the Counter Reformation of the late 1600s: impressive interiors developed with spectacular décor, vast spaces, numerous statues, divine ambience, and benches where you can sit and rest. Visits to the churches are not religious pilgrimages but a search for artistic beauty that can be enjoyed by all. During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, 1500-1700, the Church was the great patron of the arts. Painters, sculptors and architects of the day did most of their major commissioned work in these churches and produced an amazing legacy for us to enjoy today, and it is all free. Churches were the museums, monuments, MTV, CNN and theater of that time, with so much diversity that no two churches are alike.
As soon as you enter a huge church like Sant Andrea della Valle, stop to experience the full size of the space. Let the visual spectacle sink in with a single glance – put the camera and notes aside for a moment and just soak up the scene. You don't get many chances in life for first impressions like this one, so don't belittle it by getting immediately lost in your viewfinder or distracted by little details, not seeing the forest for the trees. Catch your breath, then then take some pictures and continue exploring this vast space by walking around to discover the different angles that reveal numerous perspectives.
Many artists worked to create this golden assemblage which fits together so well that it seems the product of a Master Planner, but Sant'Andrea was fashioned by such luminaries as Giacomo della Porta (who created the initial architecture), Lanfranco, Domenichino, Fonatana, Algardi, Rainaldi and dozens more. Its main highlights begin with the overall effect of vast space, golden decor and painted ceilings; the high dome; St Andrew (Sant Andrea), crucified upside down on the X-cross in a painting over the altar; and a bronze full-size copy of Michelangelo's Pieta (its original coming up in Walk Three in St. Peter's) in the second chapel on the right. Look for the mirror mounted on a floor stand at the crossing: it allows you to look at the dome without breaking your neck, because you look down at the mirror into a reflection of the ceiling.
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The recently renovated interior is glistening with gold leaf that seems to cover half the ceiling and much of the walls, bouncing a yellow glow throughout the space. This decoration was part of the church campaign to hold on to the faithful and fight back against the Protestant revolution during the Counter Reformation. Scenic splendor was meant to attract the faithful so they would continue worshiping in the traditional Catholic way. Another element of the Counter Reformation found here is the huge nave intended to hold a large congregation.
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Photo tip: Look up! While it may seem bright in here, especially with those golden surfaces and large windows, your camera is not as sensitive as the eye and will shoot with a slow shutter indoors, producing blurry shots which might seem clear on your tiny camera screen, but when you blow them up on your computer or in a cropped print they will fall apart into the fuzz-zone. Brace your camera by placing it against something solid, like a railing, pillar, wall or chair, establishing direct contact of the camera to something solid without putting your hand in the middle; hold your breath and squeeze slowly without a jerk.
Walk alongside the church on Via dei Chiavari, another charming cobbled lane with old apartments above and a few shops and restaurants at street-level. This historic neighborhood was the site of a major theater built 2,000 years ago by the famous general, Pompey, as part of his campaign to impress the public and gain power, in competition with Julius Caesar who was assassinated nearby, although no one is certain exactly where. Evidence of Pompey's Theater can be seen in the curvature of apartment buildings on the right bulge of the lane, built much later but following the old alignment.
Return to Campo del Fiori through the pedestrian tunnel at the curve of Via di Grotta Pinta, behind (west of) Via del Chiavari.
LITTLE LANES
Have a look at the huge Palazzo della Cancellaria at the north corner of the Campo dei Fiori, and if the big doors are open, walk inside the impressive courtyard that has a large two-level surrounding loggia built partly with stones and columns scavenged from the ancient Theater of Pompey and Colosseum. This palace is extra-territorial property of the Church (the Vatican State) and is not part of Italy. The Palazzo was the first Renaissance palace in Rome, built for the family of Pope Sixtus IV and finished in 1513, but it was seized a few years later by arch-rival Pope Leo X. It is an immense building but only has three floors – they built very high ceilings for the rich in those days.
One block over on Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle you could visit the Barracco Museum, which consists of a prestigious collection of antique sculpture: Assyrian, Egyptian, Cypriot, Phoenician, Etruscan, Greek and Roman art.
Meander alongside the Cancellaria palace on the little alley to the left called Via Pellegrino, named for the pilgrims who used to trod this route on their way to the Vatican. Notice the doorway on your left-hand side, through the iron gate that is generally open, allowing you to walk into a typical residential courtyard.
As long as you are quiet and respectful, the neighbors won't even notice you are standing there. Have a look at this scene which is so picturesque that it has appeared in postcards and books -- so take a few snaps and appreciate this tranquil residential beauty.
This neighborhood was at the center of Renaissance Rome and has since gone through periods of decay and rebirth, lately becoming a trendy and expensive place to live. Amazingly, these and other charming, narrow lanes coming up next are nestled in the heart Rome, yet few tourists ever find them.
Cobbled lanes
Cobblestones form the surface of nearly all roads in the center of Rome and they take a little getting used to. Don't wear spike heels! Cobbles provide a nice surface to walk on if you are wearing good shoes, which you should be doing anyway (preferably running shoes or at the very least, high-quality walking shoes). The rounded surface contour of the cobblestone is a bit uneven and yes, you could trip if you are careless, but when you get used to the rounded contours and go with the flow they can feel better than a smooth road. These bumpy surfaces give your ankles a flexible workout and can offer the bottom of your feet a light touch of massage with their rounded shapes.
Each individual cobble is a surprisingly long rock which is simply planted in wet sand, like a big stone tooth -- there's no asphalt or cement bonding, making it easy to dig the stones up when repairs are needed, and then put them back in place. At some point in your walking, you are bound to come across one of these little construction areas with piles of cobbles next to a sandy hole in the ground, and probably no-one working. But if the workers are there, pause a moment and watch their skill as they pound the stones back in place with the ring of their steel hammers on hard rock.
After a few blocks walking along Via del Pellegrino you will arrive at a tangle of six lanes coming together at a confusing yet picturesque little intersection – a good spot to pause for a moment and take in the local scene. Exit along the very narrow Via d. Cartari, keeping to one side so cars can get by, then cross the busy Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and enter another highly-decorated church, Chiesa Nuova.