By www.romephotofuntours.com - Giulio D'Ercole
Between "Lungotevere", at the hight of the Bridge of Angels and Corso Vittorio, in the heart of rione Ponte , there is an elegant and historical Roman street. It is Via dei Coronari,
a road flanked by buildings erected for the most part in the 15th and the 16th century. This is one of the most picturesque roads of the old city, hosting beautiful shops, that discreetly merge with the peculiar character of the Italian Renaissance street.
Via dei Coronari has been in place since the Roman age, but at those time it formed only one street, called "Via Recta" (straight road), with via delle Coppelle, close to Piazza Navona.
Like many other streets in Rome, the meaning of the street's name has is very precise : it comes from the Coronari, or Paternostrari, which were the makers and sellers of rosary beads ("corone" in Italian). In fact, during the 15th and 16th century, the shops along the road, used to sell those rosaries beads, holy miniatures and other religious objects to the pilgrims walking towards Saint Peter's church, few hundred meters away on the other side of the river.
Very often the streets of this district begin with crossroads divided by buildings in the shape of a sharp triangle.... some sort of versions of the more famous flatiron building in New York, but erected several hundred years before.
Taking the Rome by Day photo tour with us, you'll be able to discover and learn many of these "little", but fascinating curiosities that make out of the eternal city a never ending source of joyful surprises.
