Piazza Colonna

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Piazza Colonna is a square in the historic center of Rome, Italy. It gets its name from the Column of Marcus Aurelius, which has stood there since AD 193. A bronze statue of Saint Paul crowns the column, placed in 1589 by Pope Sixtus V. The Via Lata (now Via del Corso) runs through the piazza’s eastern end.

Overview:
The piazza is rectangular. On the north side is Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Italian government (formerly the Austria-Hungary embassy). The east side houses Galleria Colonna, a public shopping arcade now known as Galleria Alberto Sordi. The south side includes Palazzo Ferrajoli (formerly the Papal post office) and the small Church of Santi Bartolomeo ed Alessandro dei Bergamaschi (built 1731–35). The west side features Palazzo Wedekind (1838) with a colonnade of Roman columns taken from Veii.

History:
The piazza has been a monumental open space since ancient times; the site once hosted the temple of Marcus Aurelius.

Fountain:
The Fontana di Piazza Colonna was commissioned in 1577 by Pope Gregory XIII and designed by Giacomo Della Porta, with help from Rocco De Rossi. In 1830 it was restored and two dolphins with entwined tails were added at the ends of the long basin, sculpted by Achille Stocchi. The central sculpture was later replaced with a smaller statue and spray.