Climb the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti from Piazza di Spagna
Stand at the foot of the stairway in Piazza di Spagna and look up: the steps rise in flights between the square and the Trinità dei Monti church that dominates the top, a Rococo composition by Francesco de Sanctis (with Alessandro Specchi long credited for the winning design in the 1717 competition). It is a piece of urban theatre as much as a staircase — a monumental solution to the steep slope up the shoulder of the Pincio, linking the French church above with the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the Palazzo Monaldeschi below. Come for the ascent itself, the view back over the piazza, and the way the whole quarter arranges itself around this one flight of stone.
What you see on the way up: the fountain, the church, the obelisk
Begin at the Fontana della Barcaccia, the Early Baroque "Fountain of the Longboat" in the piazza, built in the late 1620s and usually credited to Pietro Bernini, father of Gian Lorenzo. Then take the steps slowly, turning at the landings to watch the square recede. At the top, the Trinità dei Monti church — the French monastery church that the stairway was built to serve — can be visited, and an Egyptian obelisk stands at the head of the stairs. The upper terrace gives you a panoramic view back down over Piazza di Spagna. On the right as you begin to climb is the house where the English poet John Keats lived and died in 1821, now a museum of the English Romantic generation.
How to time your visit: azaleas, December, and the rules of the steps
The steps change character with the calendar. In spring, just before Rome's foundation anniversary on 21 April, part of the staircase is covered with pots of azaleas, which remain until early May — the most photogenic weeks of the year. At Christmas, a 19th-century crib is displayed on the first landing. On 8 December, the statue of Mary at the base is decked with flowers and the pope traditionally visits. A small cut-flower market has also operated on the steps in modern times.
Allow a leisurely half-hour for the climb, the church and the view — longer if you linger in the piazza. One thing to know before you sit: Roman regulations forbid eating on the steps and, since 2019, sitting on them can draw a fine, so treat the travertine as a route rather than a bench. The steps are usually crowded; go early in the day for clearer light and space. Note too that the stairway is a working monument that has been restored repeatedly, most recently in a renovation sponsored by Bulgari and reopened in 2016 — walk it with the care that implies.
Beyond the steps: the piazza, the Pincio and the shopping streets
At the top, the stairway ramps up onto the Pincio, the Pincian Hill, and from there you can reach the Villa Medici. The streets around Piazza di Spagna form one of Rome's luxury shopping districts, with Via dei Condotti the highlight (and home to Bulgari's Italian flagship). The area sits close to the Villa Borghese and its gallery, and the Spagna metro stop on Line A puts the rest of the city within easy reach. If you want to push on into Rome's larger set pieces, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Colosseum lie across the historic centre, while the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel sit beyond the river.
Pick your season — late April for the azaleas, or a crisp December day for the crib and the city at its quietest — and build a morning around the climb: fountain first, steps second, church and view at the top, then a slow wander down through the shopping streets. The Spanish Steps reward the traveller who arrives with time to look back.