The Spanish Steps Square, or by its exact name, the Spanish Square (Piazza di Spagna), is located in the heart of an ancient district.

So first — why the mistake in the Hebrew name calling it “The Spanish Steps”?

The square is shaped by two triangles. In the southern triangle stands the Palace of the Spanish Embassy, which purchased it in 1654 and turned it into the official residence of the ambassador to the Holy See. This made the area between the palace and Via Condotti (today’s upscale street leading from the square) and Via del Corso (the long shopping street) under Spanish control to the extent that anyone passing by could be forcibly recruited into the Spanish army.

The most prominent landmark of the square is the broad staircase leading up to the church of the Holy Trinity, Trinità dei Monti. Because of this, there’s a common error where the steps are named after the square, although in truth, these are French steps, created as part of a conflict between the French monarchy and the papacy in Rome. In the 17th century, the idea arose to connect the lower square (with the boat fountain) to the church of the Holy Trinity above — a church built in the 15th century by Charles VIII, King of France. The staircase’s design was supposed to include a large statue of Louis XIV, King of France, to commemorate the power of the monarchy in Rome — something completely unacceptable to Rome’s ruler, Pope Clement VII. The plan was never executed. Only about 60 years later, Pope Innocent XII finally approved the project but without the statue of the French king.

Incidentally, the church remains French-owned to this day.

Between 1627 and 1629, in the square below, the artist Pietro Bernini (father of the great Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini) built the Fountain of the Boat (Fontana della Barcaccia), which seems to float on water. He was inspired by the sight of a boat that drifted into the area when the Tiber River flooded. The boat features symbols of bees and suns — the emblem of the Barberini family, patrons of the artist and the family for whom the boat was built.

On the sides of the stairs stands the Keats-Shelley Romantic Poets Museum (Casa di Keats) — dedicated to the English poets Keats and Shelley, who traveled classical Europe in the 19th century and fell in love with Rome. John Keats died of tuberculosis in this house, and in the early 20th century, it was purchased by the Keats-Shelley Society, which turned it into a museum for other English Romantic poets. On the other side of the stairs is the local Tea House (Casa del Tè), established in 1893 by two Anglo-Saxon women, Isabel Cargill from New Zealand and Anna Maria Babington from England. They arrived in Rome and decided to make a bold move in the Italian capital. They took advantage of a period when Italy was celebrating 25 years of marriage between King Umberto and Queen Margherita, which filled Rome with celebrities, celebrations, parties, and events, bringing great attention to the new place.

After World War I and the economic crisis, the place nearly closed. Therefore, Mrs. Babington’s sister took over its management and made design changes. During World War II, the place faced a second challenge: hosting fascist government officials in the front rooms while the back rooms secretly hosted anti-fascist meetings accessed through the kitchen. The place is now full of young people and tourists most hours of the day, enjoying a light rest, a romantic moment, or a historic photo.

In spring, the steps fill with stunning flowers. This tradition began to celebrate the birthday of the Eternal City on April 21. In the 1930s, a flower exhibition held annually in the city was moved from the Villa Aldobrandini gardens to the Spanish Steps. Since then, 250 white and lilac azalea pots are placed here for a month and then moved to the San Sisto nursery.

One more story: opposite the Spanish Embassy is a McDonald’s branch — the first McDonald’s in Italy, opened in 1986. On opening day, Italian chefs and lovers of Italian cuisine were outraged by the arrival of fast food in the Italian capital. Loud protests and throwing penne pasta at the windows marked the first day. This protest later became the starting signal for the global Slow Food movement.