After a fantastic morning spent in Galleria Borghese and the Villa we took a leisurely walk down to the Spagna area, where several places of interest are located. The first was the Spanish Steps, purportedly the widest staircase in Europe. The English Romantic poet John Keats ( whose love story is the subject of Jane Campion’s beautifully shot film Bright Star  ) resided in the cream colored building on the left of the above picture.

(below) A view of the shopping street Via Condotti about halfway up the steps.

(above) The super touristy Trevi Fountain, just a stone’s throw away from the Spanish Steps. Most of the visitors to the fountain seem more concerned with capturing photographic evidence of their fleeting, ephemeral presence around the premises than actually taking in the scenery and enjoying the superb artistry presented before their eyes.

(below) The old guards and the new.

(above and below) A seafood lunch at the nearby restaurant La Locanda Del Tempio.

(above right & below) The majestic Pantheon, final resting place for one of Renaissance most revered painters Raphael.

(above) The city is peppered with numerous weathered and defaced posters, often marketing material for political parties. I found them rather aesthetically pleasing when complemented by the richly textured walls. (below) Facades like these quickly remind me of Giuseppe Tornatore’s films like Cinema Paradiso and Malena.

We spent the evening in Piazza Navona, an otherwise quiet and peaceful square if not for the Christmas bazaar going on; a multitude of charming makeshift stores selling Christmas decorations, miniatures and figurines, and manned by equaling charming shop-owners. (above)