Although they have been known as the Spanish Steps, after the nearby Spanish Embassy, ever since their construction between 1721-25, the steps that lead up to the rose-coloured Trinità dei Monti church were in fact constructed and funded by the French King, Charles VIII. At the bottom of the steps is the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square), and Pietro Bernini’s Fontana della Barcaccia (Barcaccia Fountain). The steps have served as a meeting point for generations of travellers, from the English Grand Tourists of the 18th century, to the young people of all nationalities who flock here today. The English Romantic poet, John Keats, spent the last few months of his life in the Casina Rossa, or Little Red House, nearby before he tragically died of tuberculosis in 1821. The house was left to go to ruin until it was bought by a group of British and Americans in 1903 and turned into a museum where visitors can learn about the lives of Keats, Shelley, Byron and other English poets who were inspired by Italy.
Air: Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport (Fiumicino), Rome Ciampino Airport. Water: Ferry: Civitavecchia port, from where there are services to central Rome. Rail: Train: Roma Termini Station, Roma Tiburtina Station, Roma Ostiense Station or Roma Trastevere Station. Underground: Spagna. Road: Bus: Publics services. Car: A12 (from the west); A24 (from the east); SS7 (from Rome Ciampino Airport).

Keats-Shelley Memorial House, Piazza di Spagna 26, 00187 Rome, Italy
Tel: (06) 678 4235
Website: www.Keats-Shelley-House.org

Italy, Rome