Piazza Venezia

The story

The square's defining sight is the Altare della Patria, an inescapable landmark rising above a chaotic swirl of cars. Trajan's Column stands nearby, and each year on December 8 the city council raises a Christmas tree in the piazza. Much of the area's past lies underground. Just beside the square, beneath Palazzo Valentini, a Renaissance palace now used as government offices, are the Domus Romane: ancient villas abandoned and filled with debris in antiquity. A multimedia tour casts coloured light over brick ruins, mosaics, frescoes and street paving to recreate their original form. Via del Corso leads up to the square, while Palazzo delle Esposizioni, with galleries, a cinema and a rooftop restaurant, sits within reach.