Next time you're in Rome, if you are looking for an off-the beaten-path location, take a few moments out to stroll the Via Giulia.
Via Giulia is one of the oldest streets in Rome. It runs parallel to the Tiber River, which separates the River from Trastevere.
It is a wonderful road that showcases the best of the Renaissance. In the sixteenth century, it became the most fashionable street for new construction for borghesi and for the Florentine community. Today it's known as one of Rome's elite shopping streets, noted for its antique shops.
In the 1540's Michelangelo had a plan to have the gardens of the Palazzo Farnese, which is currently home to the French Embassy, to be connected by a bridge to the Villa Farnesina, the Pope's Villa in Trastevere. The arch in the following photos, known as Passaggio Farnese, is what is left of the plan, which never came to fruition.
You've already seen some lovely pictures of homes along the Via Giulia in my post about my collections of Roman courtyards and Roman doors.
Here are some of the other favorites, including the archway over Via Giulia, just dripping with ivy and adorned with my favorite element- the fleur-de-lys, and the grand Palazzo Falconieri, seen as you get closer to the Ponte Sisto.
And of course, as we cross over the Ponte Sisto, you can see St Peter's Basilica on the Trastevere side of the Tiber.
Hope you enjoyed the stroll.
What is one of your favorite strolls in Rome?