The Piazza Colonna is a central square in Rome, located just off the main shopping street, the Via del Corso (formerly Via Lata), which runs through its eastern end.
Piazza Colonna Rome
It is named for its most eye-catching attraction, the huge marble Column of Marcus Aurelius, which was placed there in the year 193. The statue on top of the column is not of Marcus Aurelius, but of Saint Paul, and was added by Pope Sixtus V in 1589.
Apart from the column there are several other important buildings around this rectangular square, such as the Palazzo Chigi (north side), a seat of Italy’s government, and the former Galleria Colonna, which was rebaptized Galleria Alberto Sordi in 2003.
The Palazzo Ferraioli on the west side used to be the Papal Post Office and is flanked by a little church called Santi Bartolomeo ed Alessandro dei Bergamaschi.
The Palazzo Wedekind has a colonnade of Roman columns that were salvaged from the ancient city of Veii and can also be seen on the west side of Piazza Colonna. In ancient Roman times the Temple of Marco Aurelius used to stand in the same spot.
An elegant fountain, simply called Fountain of Piazza Colonna, further embellishes the square.