The Via dei Coronari is a very picturesque and central street in Rome, not far from the Piazza Navona. It was constructed when Pope Sixtus IV had the area between the center and the Ponte Sant’Angelo redesigned in order to create a direct road to the Vatican City.
A brief history of the Via dei Coronari in Rome
The Via Coronari was originally called the Via Recta, but the pilgrims that started using the street en masse in order to get as quickly as possible to Saint Peter’s Basilica caused the opening of many shops selling souvenirs and especially rosary beads. Since these rosary beads were called “crowns”, the Via Recta came to be called the Via dei Coronari.
Nowadays the souvenir shops have mostly been replaced by antique stores and the Via dei Coronari has become one of Rome‘s most prestigious streets, with many 15th and 16th century palazzi.
What to see in the Via dei Coronari
Starting from the Piazza di Tor Sanguigna, the first point of interest is the Madonnella on the corner with the Vicolo di Febo. It depicts the “Holy Family” in a mirror-like oval frame, protected by an elegantly decorated metal canopy.
The Monte Giardano is a complex consisting of 5 buildings about halfway down the street. It is built on top of an artificial hill formed by the ruins of previous buildings. It was built in 1430 by Giordano Orsini, whose family had to sell the property in the 19th century. The new owners were the Taverna family, so the Monte Giordano became the Palazzo Taverna.
Other interesting buildings along the Via dei Coronari are a.o. the Palazzo Bonaventura and the Palazzo del Drago.
Eating in the Via dei Coronari
The exterior doesn’t to the place justice, but I Suppli dei Coronari is an affordable, friendly and nicely decorated place to either have a quick snack or a full meal. The supplì (ball of risotto with tomato sauce and mozzarella, typical of Roman cuisine) may be the speciality of the house, but their porchetta sandwich is the best I have eaten outside of Ariccia.
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