Having endured the onslaught of tourists at
Piazza di Spagna and the
Trevi Fountain, we turned our attention to just a few blocks away, where the flood of tourists slowed to a trickle.

Piazza Barberini is situated due north of the Giardini di Quirinale and completes a loose triangle with the Spanish Steps to the northwest and the Trevi to the southwest. While it’s neither among the Eternal City’s largest nor its most beautiful piazzas, it is home to one of Bernini’s most famous fountains, and, in addition, there are enough noteworthy points of interest nearby to make it worthy of a visit. That we encountered just a smattering of other tourists made it all the more enjoyable.
Four dolphins and a sea god
At the center of the piazza is the Fontana del Tritone (Fountain of the Triton), one of Bernini’s most imaginative designs and his last major commission for Pope Urban VIII. Constructed from 1642 to 1643, it features the sea god Triton kneeling atop a scallop shell supported by the four entwined dolphins. Water cascades from a conch shell Triton blows into. The papal tiara and bees, emblematic symbols of the wealthy and influential Barberini family, are implemented into the design.
Via Vittorio Veneto, which gained fame for its prominent role in Federico Felini’s 1960 classic La Dolce Vita, spills into the piazza from the north. The elegant, tree-lined street had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s, when it was a favored haunt of movie stars, socialites, and the paparazzi. Today, it sweeps tourists past upscale hotels, cafés, and shops to the Hard Rock Cafe (Via Vittorio Veneto, 62) and Palazzo Margherita (Via Vittorio Veneto, 119), a neo-Renaissance styled palace constructed in 1886, now the U.S. Embassy.
Fontana delle Api (Fountain of the Bees), also designed by Bernini, is located at the bottom of Via Vittorio Veneto and features the Barberini family coat of arms. Designed as a drinking trough for horses, it’s been moved from its original location on Via Sistina at the opposite end of the square. The fountain was dismantled around 1867 and reassembled in its current location in 1916. Some of the parts were lost while it was in storage, and as a result, what we see today is not completely faithful to Bernini’s original.
Cappuccino and bones, anyone?
I’d venture to guess that most tourists on their way to the Hard Rock barely notice the unassuming Santa Maria della Concezione, at Via Vittorio Veneto 27, for there’s nothing extraordinary about its exterior to differentiate it from the hundreds of other churches that dot Rome’s landscape.
But, alas, nestled within these walls is one of Rome’s lesser-known gems. Also known as the Church of the Capuchins, this once-grand structure was more or less swallowed up by the construction of Via Veneto, and changes to the facade have further diluted its grandeur. Its construction occurred between 1626 and 1631 by Cardinal Antonio Barberini, a Capuchin friar and the brother of Urban VIII. The first chapel on the right features St. Michael the Archangel (1630) by Guido Reni, and Caravaggio’s St. Francis is in the sacristy, but what really sets this place apart is what lies beneath it, the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks.
This macabre exhibit is easily one of the most unique sights in all of Rome. Five small chapels contain the bones of more than 4,000 monks who died between 1528 and 1870. The remains of the Capuchin’s deceased brothers are stacked like cord wood and arranged in intricate displays that adorn the walls and ceilings of each chapel. A sign hanging above a collection of skulls simply states, "What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you will be." The display even includes complete skeletons that stand clothed in the friar’s traditional brown, hooded garments. It only takes about 5 minutes to see the crypt, but what a 5 minutes they are.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, the crypt is closed for "structural repairs" and no reopening date is known. It’s been speculated that the keepers of the crypts were told to close up permanently because the "respect for human remains" is being violated. It’s best to call ahead (39.06.487.1185) or check with the main tourist information office (Via Parigi, 5; Monday to Friday 8:15am to 7:15pm, Saturday 8:15am to 1:45pm; 39.06.4889.9253 or 39.06.4889.9255).
Ancient art, modern construction site
Just to the east of the square along Via delle Quattro Fontane is the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica (National Gallery of Ancient Art) housed in the stunning Palazzo Barberini.
Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, and Bernini all had a hand in the palazzo’s circa-1630 design. Purchased by the Italian government in 1949 to house the collection, the palazzo is currently in the throes of a major renovation project. While the exterior and grounds can be admired to a degree, the disheveled state of the palazzo’s interior and galleries resulted in something less than a user-friendly experience.
Among the artistic luminaries in the collection are works by Lippi, Rafael, El Greco, Caravaggio, and Peter Paul Reubens. During the current renovation project, however, the museum is worth checking out only for those who possess a particular interest in the collection.