Piazza Della Repubblica in Rome

In many respects, you could say that Piazza Dell Repubblica is stunning and yet both blessed and hindered by it's location. It is a glamorous piazza that sits at the crossroad of what many would term a seedy neighborhood to the southeast and the epitome of the dolce vita to the northwest.

From ItalyGuides.it

The design of Piazza Della Repubblica, or Piazza Esedra, and the surrounding buildings is indeed stunning. I've always been attracted by the graceful curves of the buildings that hug the circular piazza. The fountain has a particular glow at night. Surrounding the piazza are some of Rome's finest five star hotels - the luxurious Grand Hotel (Rome's first luxury hotel), the new but stunning Hotel Exedra.

On the opposite side from the Exedra stands the stunning church, Santa Maria Degli Angeli e dei Martiri. The basilica is actually an adaptation of the remains of the Baths of Diocletian - a work undertaken under the guidance of Michelangelo. The basilica's official page lists pertinent visitor information, event listings and much more. Granted, it does help to read Italian.

Running southwest from the piazza is Via Nazionale... a long and regal boulevard commissioned in the middle of the 19th century to connect Piazza Venezia to Piazza Della Repubblica. The road is lined with a broad mix of shops, from high end shops like Furla, Max Mara, Frette and Intimissimi to more typical Italian stores. You can walk from one end to the other (either uphill or downhill) in a few hours. The shops are reachable from the Piazza Della Repubblica stop or via the buses that run frequently along via Nazionale. I traditionally haven't eaten in the area although the scores of side streets off of Via Nazionale are full of restaurants, trattorie and pizzerie. I'll have a better idea of restaurant recommendations after our next trip to Italy as we'll be staying in one of the aforementioned hotels.

Granted, heading southeast you then have the zone around the main train station in Rome, Termini. Many people are hypnotized by the scores of hotels and reasonable rates near the station. Don't be fooled... I wouldn't stay there. It's not the best area in town and no respectable Roman would recommend it... so, just keep that in mind. Of course, travel to the northwest and you have Via Veneto and a completely different ambiance. Regardless, Piazza Della Repubblica and the neighboring area is worth visiting on a trip to Rome.