Plaza de Venecia

The Venetian Square is located in the centre of Rome, Italy. It is one of the largest hubs of the city, where lines of urban transport intersect. In addition, there is a huge car traffic, which often must be led by a policeman standing on a platform. It is one of a few squares in Europe where you can still see a phenomenon like this one.

The Venetian Square was constructed in the 15th century by the architect Leone Battiste Alberti. Its name comes from the renaissance Venetian Palace located in the same place, which housed the Embassy of the Venetian Republic. The building is regarded as a major example of a secular renaissance  architecture. The construction began in 1455 by order of Pope Paul II. During its first years, it served as a papal residence.

In the end of the 18th century, the Venetian Palace was converted into the Austrian Embassy, the seat of which existed till the beginning of the fascist reign of Mussolini. He ordered to convert palatial rooms into an exclusive apartment. It was the place where the duce made his speeches to the people standing in front of the palace. On the eve of the collapse of his reign, the palace became the public property. Today, the palace houses a museum with masterpieces gathered by Jean Paul II. In the courtyard, there is a fountain depicting an espousal of Venice with the sea.

Next to the Venetian Palace, there is the Church of Saint Marcus, built in the 4th century. Its thorough renovation took place in the 9th century, whereas a façade was added during the construction of the palace in the 15th century. Both buildings were connected so that the pope could give the benediction from a balcony of the palace. The interior of the palace is furnished in the baroque style and consists of three naves. On the ceiling there is a white lion with a golden band, which is the coat of arms of Jean Paul II. Also, it is adorned with mosaics in the apse, representing Christ surrounded by the saints and Gregory IV.

On the other side of the square there is a building of the Insurance Company, which style-wise is similar to the Venetian Palace. Michaelangelo spent the last years of his life here.