"Don't miss this fountain at Pzza Repubblica!" Rome Favorite Tip by alza

Favorite thing: Piazza dell'Esedra is my first and best ever memory of Rome. It's the first piazza to welcome travellers arriving from Termini Station. For this reason, city planners in the early XXth century wanted the piazza to make a grand statement for their capital. The result of the embellishment project was spectacular!

Since the end of the Second World War and of the Italian monarchy, the piazza is officially known as Piazza della Repubblica. But... I stayed there on my first visit to Rome many years ago and I remember clearly that locals still called it "dell'Esedra" then. Whenever I'm in Rome, I go back to admire the great fountain in the centre and the fantastic opening onto Via Nazionale and the Vittoriano in the background.

The Fontana delle Naiadi in the centre is the most beautiful modern fountain in Rome. Four playful nymphs are riding aquatic animals and the sea-god Glaucus is apparently wrestling with a monster fish. It's truly worth standing close by for a while, to see the beautiful effects of the water as it erupts into the air!

There are interesting things to do in the vicinity of Piazza della Repubblica. One is a visit to Sta Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, for which I already wrote a tip in Things To Do.
Then, on the right of the Piazza, facing via Nazionale, there are bancarelle (bookstands) where you can rummage for hours for fascinating books and other printed material. (I'll post a tip on the bancarelle soon, maybe tonight...)
Also close by is the Palazzo Massimo, one of the 3 sites of the Museo Nazionale Romano (National Museum of Rome, world-famous archeological collections.) The main location of this Museum is at the Baths of Diocletian, steps away from Pzza Repubblica too.

Piazza Repubblica is where demonstrations and major gatherings are held, there's traffic and movement all around. Be careful while trying to get the best shot with your camera, that you don't back too much onto the street.

Fondest memory: oh... thought I just said that! Well I'll repeat. When I think of Rome, I invariably think of what to me is still called Piazza dell'Esedra. Perhaps because I stayed there in a good Pensione on my first visit to Rome? I remember the owner very fondly: a reserved, refined, helpful and extremely kind lady who treated my sister and I like daughters.