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10 Fun Facts About Rome’s Spanish Steps

Asia London Palomba | PUBLISHED: June 14, 2023

Asia London Palomba
June 22, 2023

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Rome’s Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna are one of the Eternal City’s most iconic monuments and for good reason. The effect of walking into the wide open breadth of Piazza di Spagna and seeing the steps reach toward the Trinità dei Monti church and its two imposing bell towers is breathtaking.

A Roman landmark since the 18th century, they’ve intrigued poets, writers, artists, and everyone in between for the centuries. The sweeping city views they offer those brave enough to climb up its many steps are among the best in Rome. And while the Spanish Steps may be popular, there are some facts regarding their history that few actually know.

How many steps are there really, and what’s the story behind their Spanish namesake? America Domani has compiled a list of 10 interesting facts regarding the monument so you can be prepared on your next trip to the city. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Eternal City’s Spanish Steps:

  • The steps were commissioned by French diplomat Étienne Gueffier. The Trinità dei Monti church crowning the top of the steps was commissioned by King Louis XII, the King of France.
  • The Spanish Steps are made up of 135 travertine steps designed by Italian architect Francesco de Sanctis. He began construction in 1723 and completed the stairs in 1725.
  • It is considered to be the widest staircase in Europe.
  • The structure is composed of three terraces representing the Holy Trinity.
  • The Spanish Steps owe their name to the fact that the Spanish Embassy moved to the square in the 17th century. The steps link the Trinità dei Monti church and the Bourbon Spanish Embassy.
  • Sitting, eating, and drinking on the steps is prohibited.
  • In the spring, the steps and their terraces are adorned with pots overflowing with white, pink, and purple azaleas.
  • The Spanish Steps have been featured in many movies, most famously in “Roman Holiday” starring Audrey Hepburn.
  • The house where the English poet John Keats spent the last months of his life is located to the left of the staircase’s bottom and open to the public.
  • Located on the right side is Tea Shop Babingtons, a tea shop founded by two English women in 1893.

Asia London Palomba

Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.

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Asia London Palomba

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