Democratic shopping on Via del Corso. Democratic shopping on Via del Corso Corso Octavian
June 25, 2019
One of the main shopping streets of the Italian capital is located in the historical center of Rome. Via del Corso, whose shops attract tourists from all over the world with their display windows, stretches from south to north for almost one and a half kilometers, connecting with an ideal straight line two squares of the Eternal City - Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Popolo. The part of the street that starts from People's Square is pedestrian, and the first floors of almost every building here are occupied by numerous shops, boutiques of famous brands, beauty salons and restaurants.
Shops on the main shopping street in Rome
It is common knowledge that Italy is one of the leading countries in the field of fashion design and many other stylish things. Therefore, during a trip to Rome, you should never neglect the opportunity to update your wardrobe, buy gifts or souvenirs.
One of the special features of Via del Corso is that it is home to many retail outlets with a unique combination of small artisan shops and designer boutiques of the world's leading luxury brands such as Zara, H&M, Massimo Dutti, Pinko and others. In addition, the city's largest shopping centers Galleria Alberto Sordi and La Rinascente, which at one time became the very first department store in Rome, are located here. And for those who want to look at the icon of the Italian automotive industry - Ferrari, they should definitely visit the flagship store of this company.
This is interesting!
In 1887, on Via del Corso, two entrepreneurs from Milan, the Bocconi brothers, opened the first department store in Rome, La Rinascente, i.e. "Revival". The architect Giulio de Angelis built a completely new palace, which was dominated by glass and iron. Erected in the very center of the city, the building marked the beginning of the transition of 19th century Rome to a modern urbanized city.
Shops in Rome are generally open from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 19:30 (in the summer months from 16:00 to 20:00), except on Sundays and Mondays. However, in August, many of them may be closed for 2-3 weeks, since most residents go on vacation this month.
Attractions Corso
While visiting the shops of Via del Corso, shopping in Rome allows you to simultaneously get acquainted with some of the architectural attractions of the main shopping street. It contains several iconic objects of the Eternal City, which may certainly be of interest to tourists:
- Palazzo Bonaparte, located on the corner of Via del Corso and, which was erected in 1657-1677 according to the design of the architect Giovanni Antonio de Rossi. Here in the 19th century Napoleon's mother Maria Letizia lived, who could often be seen on the corner green balcony overlooking the square;
- Palazzo Doria Pamphili, which occupies the neighboring building built in 1507, houses a magnificent private collection of works of art, the exhibition of which is presented in;
- the ancient 7th century church of Santa Maria in Via Lata, rebuilt in 1639 according to the design of the architect Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669), which contains the burial places of some representatives of the Bonaparte family;
- the grandiose column of Marcus Aurelius and the fountain by Giacomo della Porta in Piazza Colonna, which is surrounded by three palaces: Chigi, Ferraggioli and Wedekind;
- Galleria Alberto Sordi with more than twenty shops inside the building formerly known as Galleria Colonna;
- Basilica of San Carlo al Corso, built between 1610 and 1669. on the site of an ancient Christian temple from the 10th century.
Via Del Corso ends at one of the most beautiful squares in Rome -
One of the most popular streets in Rome, as well as the central avenue, is Corso, or Via del Corso. It is this place that attracts the most tourists, largely due to the wide variety of shops. The street connects two squares: and.
A little history
This is a true shopping paradise. But Corso is famous not only for its shops; it has a rich history. The street was originally called Via Lata, but in the mid-15th century it was renamed Corso. The reason for this was the annual winter carnival celebrations, an obligatory part of which included horse racing, which was called “corso”. This spectacle was not for the faint of heart, but it was a favorite pastime among the Romans. Horse racing was canceled only at the end of the 19th century by order of Queen Margaret. Also on this street, other fun took place, for example, throwing plaster balls at each other, which were later (due to physical injuries to the participants in the entertainment) were replaced by more harmless “projectiles” - candies. Such festivities lasted almost two weeks.In the middle of the 19th century, gas lighting was installed on Corso Street, after which fashion and jewelry stores, antique and souvenir shops began to open one after another. Corso has become a favorite place for local residents to walk.
Attractions
This street is a truly historical place of the city, replete with architectural attractions. One of these is the Bonaparte Palace, built by Giovanni Antonio de Rossi in 1660. In the 19th century, Maria Letizia Bonaparte, Napoleon's mother, lived here.Not far from the palace there is another palace - Doria Pamphli, which is rightfully considered the pearl of the Corso. This is a truly colossal royal palace, built by Cardinal Giovanni Fazio Santorio in 1507. The majestic building so impressed Pope Julius II that the cardinal was forced, on his orders, to donate the building to the pontiff’s nephew. The palace is a real treasure trove of unique frescoes, sculptures, statues, furniture and paintings with works by Caravaggio, Velazquez, Raphael, and many others.
Another attraction of Corso is the church of Santa Maria in Via Lata, built in the 7th century. The building was built on the site where an ancient basilica once stood. As a result of a flood in the mid-17th century, the church was severely damaged, but was completely restored and restored within 23 years. The pride of this holy place is the ancient miraculous icon of the Mother of God and the magnificent altar by Bernini. It was this church that became the last refuge for members of the Bonaparte family.
Another building worthy of attention, located on Corso Street, is the Carolis Palace. Its author is the architect Alessandro Specchi, who built the building at the beginning of the 19th century. The palace went through several owners until it was acquired by the Bank of Rome, which has owned this beautiful building for more than a hundred years. Tourists will not be able to get inside for obvious reasons, which does not allow them to admire the ancient spiral staircase, courtyard with a fountain and ancient columns. But the outside of the palace is extremely beautiful, especially the central entrance with a balcony.
One of the favorite places for city guests is the Square of the Column, in the center of which the Column of Marcus Aurelius majestically rises into the sky. There are three palaces around the square: Chigi (the residence of the Prime Minister of Italy), Montecitorio (the building of the Chamber of Deputies) and Wedeking (the office of the newspaper "Il Tempo"). The real decoration of the square is the fountain, which is a huge bowl made of marble by the sculptor Giacomo della Porta. The fountain was built at the end of the 16th century, and at the beginning of the 19th century, during restoration, it was supplemented with images of dolphins and shells. Further down the street there is a legendary place - the former cafe "Aranjo", of which only the name now remains. The history of the cafe began in the middle of the 19th century; it was here that politicians, writers, journalists and artists gathered for many years. This is the real “holy of holies” of the famous Corsa street.
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Via del Corso, known in ancient times as Via Lata, is one of the main streets of the historical part of Rome. It is notable for the fact that it is an absolutely straight street, despite the fact that the area itself is full of narrow, winding alleys and small squares. In the past, Via del Corso was considered a very wide street, but today its width barely reaches 10 m - it fits a two-lane road and two narrow sidewalks. The northern part of the street is completely pedestrian. The total length of Via del Corso is about 1.5 km.
In the north, Via del Corso connects the northern city gate of Porta del Popolo and the square of the same name with the city center - Piazza Venezia at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. In Piazza del Popolo you can see two Baroque churches, Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto, and along the street are the churches of San Carlo al Corso, San Giacomo in Augusta and Gesu e Maria. Piazza Colonna is notable for the ancient Column of Marcus Aurelius and the Alberto Sordi Gallery.
Since the 15th century, the street has served as a racecourse for the annual riderless horse race known as the Corsa dei Barberi, hence the name Via del Corso.
In general, the history of Via del Corso begins in 220 BC, when, by order of Gaius Flaminius, a road was built connecting Rome and the Adriatic coast in the north. The road started from the Porta Fontinalis gate near the present Piazza Venezia. Gradually the city grew and expanded towards the north, and various public buildings were built along the road. In those days, the street was called Via Lata (literal translation - Broad Street), which speaks of its size. In the 4th century, three triumphal arches were built - Arcus Novus, Arch of Claudius and Arco di Portogallo. The most significant monuments on Via Lata were the Aurelian Temple of the Sun, the Altar of Peace (Ara Pachis), the Column of Marcus Aurelius and a number of others.
In the 15th century, Via del Corso began to become a fashionable place for the construction of churches and palaces of the nobility, but despite this, by the mid-17th century, many churches were missing facades, and some buildings were a combination of buildings from different periods. This attracted the attention of Pope Alexander II, who tried to force the owners of the palaces to bring their property into proper condition, but failed. He, however, pushed for the demolition or reconstruction of some buildings, for example, the Arco di Portogallo was destroyed, since it narrowed the street by almost half. In 1659, the Pope's family, the illustrious Chigi dynasty, bought Palazzo Aldobrandini here, which was rebuilt and turned into Palazzo Chigi. Later, the Porta del Popolo gate was rebuilt and the square of the same name was cleared.
Today Via del Corso is a popular evening stroll among the city's residents, as well as an important shopping street and tourist attraction.
Churches of Rome (1) - via del Corso. February 8th, 2018
No city in the world has as many churches as Rome - there are about 1,000 of them, and among them many were built according to the designs of famous architects and decorated with works of art by great and famous artists and sculptors, such as the “king” of the Baroque - Bernini, the brilliant Michelangelo , the unique Caravaggio, etc. The facades of many churches are richly decorated with sculptures, decor, and columns. Inside, almost every ancient church is like a small museum: stucco moldings, sculptures, frescoes, paintings by famous and little-known masters. 
Papal Rome is the birthplace of Baroque, which began its triumphal march across Europe from the beginning of the 17th century. For almost 200 years, old churches were rebuilt in the Baroque style and new ones were built. On the street Corso - via del Corso, which stretches 1.6 km from the square. Venice to the People's Square - piazza del Popolo - there are several churches.
01. was restored in Baroque style in 1639. The facade was designed by Pietro da Cortona in 1658-1662. According to legend, the Apostle Paul spent two years in captivity in the crypt under the church awaiting trial, and here he wrote his letters.
Church is open all days (aperta tutti i giorni) 17.00 - 22.30. Masses(Orario messe) all days (tutti i giorni) at 20.00.
Pearls of the Church: remains of the work of the Kosmatov family and an altar icon from the 13th century.
02. Open: 08:00-12:00; 16:30-19:00. Masses: 8:30, 18:30.
In 1338, a hospital was built on this site, which existed for about 700 years. There was a chapel at the hospital. In 1592, according to the design of the architect Francesco Capriani da Volterra, the construction of the church began, and in 1598 it was continued by the architect Carlo Maderno.
Pearl of the Church: miraculous icon of the Madonna. 
03. Facade designed by the famous architect Carlo Rainaldi (1611-1691). The facades of churches were made according to his designs: Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli (1633-1667), Sant "Andrea della Valle (1661-1665); facades of two churches on Popolo Square (1662-1675); apse of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, facade Church of Suffragio in Via Giulia (1669-1675), Spada Chapel in the Church of Nuova, high altar in the Church of San Gerolamo della Carità.
Open: all days 9.00-12.30 / 15.30-19.30. Masses: on weekdays at 18.00, on weekends: at 10.00 in Latin; at 11.30; at 18.00; at 19.15 in Slovak.
One of the magnificent sculpted tombstones. 
04 Construction of the basilica began in 1612 and continued until 1669; in 1684 the design of the facade was completed. The interior of the church is stunning with its baroque beauty. The church is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Near the entrance on the right is a brief history of the church and a description of the main works of art.
05. Oratorio open: 7-12, 16:30-19, located near the church of San Marcello al Corso, built in 1562-1568. The facade is the work of the famous Giacomo della Porta. Pearls of the Church: frescoed walls of the oratory and altar. 
06. - one of the oldest churches in Rome, rebuilt in Baroque style. Since 1369, the church has belonged to the Servite Order. One of the churches in Rome that is open until 24 hours.
Pearls: The intricately concave travertine façade was designed by Carlo Fontana (late 17th century), the ancient cassette ceiling is from 1592, the miraculous crucifix of the 15th century is Il crocifisso miracoloso, miraculously preserved after the fire in the church in 1519, when the church was completely burned down.
Concerts are held in the church. 
07. located near via del Corso, built in 1631-1633, restored in the second half of the 19th century. The church is famous for the fact that young Mozart played there. Pearl of the Church: crypts.
In the church concerts are held see here: