Related:
"Around The Historic City Centre"

Rome Tourist Guide Routes  

Piazza Campo de'Fiori

This is one of the city's liveliest and most popular squares, sought out by people from all walks of life. In the mornings the square hosts a famous, open-air flower and plant market, the traditional event that gave the square its name. The cafés are crowded throughout the day, and the many little side-streets are lined with chic stores and galleries. After sunset, the square turns into a popular nightlife spot, featuring many bars and pizzerias. The clientele is as mixed as during the day, attracting both young crowds that sit in the middle of the square drinking beer and hipsters in designer clothing that sip cocktails at the many upscale bars.  

A mysterious, hooded statue stands at the centre of the square. The piece honours Giordano Bruno and serves as a sinister reminder of a dark period in the square's history. During the days of the Inquisition, the Campo di'Fiori was used for executions, a fate that also befell Giordano Bruno. Bruno was a scholarly monk who developed an astronomical theory. In his day it was widely believed that the earth was the centre of the universe and that all planets and the sun revolved around it. Bruno's theory claimed otherwise - that is was in fact the earth that revolved around the sun. This might strike us as a well-known, even mundane fact, but in the year 1600 it was anything but. The theory cost Bruno his life - he was branded a heretic and burned at the stake. The statue, notable for is dark and mysterious quality, marks the spot where Bruno died.