A superb procession of Roman domes, from Sant’Andrea della Valle to St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican
Moving from west to east, you can see some of the most beautiful domes in Rome: the dome of Sant’Andrea della Valle, built in the early seventeenth century by Carlo Maderno; further in the distance, the dome of St Peter’s in the Vatican, a sixteenth-century masterpiece by Michelangelo Buonarroti; lastly, the dome of the Church of the Gesù, the mother church of the Jesuits, built by Giacomo Della Porta between 1573 and 1580.
As your eyes continue moving eastwards, they will encounter the imposing mass of the Palazzo Venezia. Built in the fifteenth century by the Venetian cardinal Pietro Barbo, who later became pope, taking the name Paul II (1464-1471), over the centuries, this building was the seat of the Venetian and Austrian embassy. You can visit the palace today, without any extra charge, using the same ticket you purchased to climb up to this very terrace.
Lastly, in the foreground, in front of you, is Piazza Venezia. The square, first created towards the end of the fifteenth century, owes its final layout to Giuseppe Sacconi, the same architect who designed the Vittoriano monument itself.
