Delight in Piazza del Popolo

Proximity: Proximity to what? The piazza comes at a crossroads between the Villa Borghese, the ancient city within the walls, and the new city outside the walls. If it is proximity to nature and proximity to relief from the city then Piazza del Popolo’s Eastern edge is the tranquil Villa Borghese. This park also overlooks the square as well as the rest of the city. If it is proximity to the other objects within the square, then the gap created by the large fountain and retaining walls around the periphery create another setting of tranquility. This is successful by pushing the city’s hectic traffic and congestion to the piazza’s edges.

Repetition: The piazza, created by Guiseppe Valadier is a large ellipse that has seemingly symmetrical landmarks to balance the square’s edges. The “twin” churches the domes to the north, and the fountains to the east and west create a visual rhythm around the periphery.

Simplest and Largest Figures: The largest figures bring the eye up the sky. The obelisk and the eastern fountain, as well as the Northern Gate give one the opportunities to let their eyes wander around the square. Overall the landmarks are non ornamental. Local Travertine allows these landmarks to better blend into their contexts.

Figure/Ground Relationship: The objects within piazza del Popolo relate well to there surroundings as well to the context of the city. From St. Peter’s Dome or the top of Castel Sant’Angelo you can easily spot the small spires and domes that frame the large open space of piazza del Popolo. From afar these landmarks complement each other well, but from up close they sit within the site upon precarious alters. Each landmark has a series of levels that subtlety separates the landmark from the ground. So these landmarks tend to sit atop the ground. This creates a great place to sit and people watch.

Proportion: The surrounding landscape fits well into a human scale and this helps give the piazza a larger presence. Unlike the over scaled St. Peter’s which makes its vast piazza feel smaller, the proportionately scaled Popolo becomes more manageable to the eye.

Scale g. Rhythm: The rhythm of people passing by is the most delightful part of the piazza. People moving between the three large streets through the gate to Via Flaminia creates a constant white noise of men selling roses, couples arguing, couples kissing, and endless amounts of passers by. This rhythm is echoed is the main fountain in the center of the site with the two fountains flanking it. This paring of movement compared with the proportioning of the surrounding structures create a harmony of people and place.

Texture: Cobblestones, travertine, brick. These are the textures of Rome and these are also the textures of piazza del Popolo. The square becomes a fluid extension of the city.

Light and Color: The square and night is lit in a beautiful sepia due to the street lights. During the day the shadows created by the walls surrounding the square and the taller landmarks create high contrast shadows to either escape the harsh sun or to simply take nice touristy pictures.

Ornament: The piazza is mostly devoid of ornament. Aside from the landmarks within the piazza, the bordering buildings are pushed to the background. This not only allows the more detailed landmarks to stand out, but this also creates a better sense of foreground and background.