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| The
Scalinata di Spagna, or
Spanish Steps, are located in an upmarket
area of Rome, and join the
Piazza
di Spagna
with the church of Trinita dei Monti
with its twin towers that dominate
the skyline. The church was built in 1502 by Louis XII, next to St.
Francis di Paola's monastery.
The Spanish Steps are
usually very crowded during the summer months, with tourists just sitting,
chatting, and taking a rest from visiting the designer shops that litter
the area. It may seem
like a good place to eat a picnic lunch, but the Italian authorities, in
an attempt to keep the area clean, have banned visitors from eating whilst
sitting on the steps. |
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The staircase has been constructed using 138 steps.
Designed
in 1723 by Francesco De Sanctis, and funded by a
French diplomat Stefano Gueffierwas,
the steps are a mix of curves, straight
flights, vistas, and terraces.
The
steps have needed to be restored many times over the years, with the
latest restoration being in 1995.
The
Spanish Steps got their
name from
the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See which was located in the piazza. |
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During
the 18th century,
the Spanish Steps became a meeting place for both artists and models.
These days, located to the
right at the base of the steps,
is a house where the English poet John Keats lived and died. The house is
now a museum dedicated to his memory. |
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