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Spanish Steps |
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by Anabelle Sutcliffe / 07.12.2004 |
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Location |
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Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)
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Connection to Research |
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I found that the steps themselves were very similar to the descriptions I read in tour guides and information links. I had not expected the steps to be quite as large, nor as crowded as they were on the day of our visit. We approached the steps from above which significantly dwarfed their size. The view from the top of the steps was beautiful. Tour book guides never show pictures of this vista overlooking the city and the dome of St. Peter's.
When looking up from the bottom in the Piazza di Spagna, the steps appeared larger than I had anticipated.
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Element of Interest |
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After seeing so many of Bernini's statues and carvings, it was really interesting to compare them to Bernini's father's Fontana della Barcaccia at the base of the Spanish Steps. While the fountain was unique in that it depicted the image of a sinking boat with water pouring off the sides and draining into the pool below, it was obvious that Bernini had a talent for creating sculpture with an emotional component. Many of Bernini's works evoke a sense movement or capture a human emotion in the expression on a face. Although I liked Pietro Bernini's "useless old boat" because it was a change from the religious sculptures we have seen in churches, the fountain served more as a decoration rather than a highlight of the Spanish Steps.
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Questions |
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There are no carvings or decorations on the stairs or railings of the Spanish Steps. There is however a latin engraving on the top of the first flight of stairs in front of the church. The fleur-de-lis symbol is also found in a number of places along the stairway.
Since the steps are made of hard white marble, they are very durable and would not require any additional maintenance by the Italian Government.
Is there a reason that the steps separate about a third of the way down and then reconverge below an open rectangular-shaped area? Is this area ever used for speeches or as a place to hold events?
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Image Analysis |
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| Fontana della Barcaccia |
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This is a photograph of the Fontana della Barcaccia. The name literally means "useless old boat" which makes sense because the water pouring off the sides and front of the fountain is meant to convey the idea that the boat is sinking. The fountain is situated at the base of the Spanish Steps which are to the left of the image. The Piazza di Spagna is a crowded center where people gather and socialize both day and night. Some of the people can be seen just above the fountain in the picture.
Unlike many of Rome's other piazza fountains, the Fontana della Barcaccia is not raised up on a pedestal. The fountain is designed more like a pool in the street with the sinking boat at eye level to the viewer. This design may have been intended to allow the observer to see the water sitting inside the boat as well as the pool into which the water pours.
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