• Piazza Navona: Built on the ruins of the Stadium of Diocletian, this dramatic baroque square is the most theatrical in Rome, either by day or night. It's known for its trio of flamboyant fountains, including Bernini's Fontana dei Fiumi, the Fontana di Nettuno, and the Fontana del Moro. Cafes and restaurants abound on the square.
  • Piazza del Popolo: Nero's ghost is said to haunt this landmark square, graced with the church Santa Maria del Popolo, one of Rome's great storehouses of ecclesiastical treasures, commissioned by the pope in 1472. The square was once the gateway to Rome for foreign visitors. A beehive of activity at night, with all its bustling restaurants and cafes, the square is crowned with an Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II (a mere 3,200 years old).
  • Piazza di Spagna: First, the downside. The Spanish Steps are so overrun with tourists both day and night that you may be trampled underfoot. If not, you can appreciate their beauty. The famous steps were built in 1723 to link the church of Trinità dei Monti with the chic shopping street, Via dei Condotti, below. In the 19th century poets such as Keats and Goethe made their homes here, and artists combed the steps for prospective models, many half draped to show off their perfect bodies.
  • Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere: This square is the heartbeat of life in the villagelike section of Trastevere with its maze of narrow, cobbled alleyways. Dominating the square is the church of Santa Maria, famous for its 12th-century mosaics by Pietro Cavallini. At night the fountain in the center, created by Carlo Fontana in 1692, is a popular meeting place on the floodlit square.
  • Piazza della Rotonda: One of the greatest of all buildings from antiquity, the Pantheon, dominates this landmark square. Romans often stop here for pizza or a cup of espresso late in the evening when the tourist hordes have dwindled. Find your seat at the jumble of open-air cafe tables in front of the Pantheon and take in one of the best architectural views of a lifetime.
  • Campo de' Fiori: This "field of flowers" (its English name) was once the site of executions in Rome. Now a center of artisans and craftspeople during the day, the square is filled with barhoppers at night. The piazza is also home to Rome's oldest outdoor produce and flower market, which can be visited during the day. It's also one of the few church-free piazzas in the city. In some of the old buildings surrounding the square, Vannozza Catanei, mistress of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, used to rent rooms for pilgrims flocking to St. Peter's.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.