The Via del Tritone is one of the most important streets in central Rome. It connects the Piazza Barberini to the Largo Chigi and the Via del Corso shopping street. It is lined by tall, stately buildings and a great variety of shops.
Via del Tritone Rome
The Via del Tritone owes its name to the recently restored, Bernini designed, Fontana del Tritone in the Piazza Barberini. By the late 16th century the first stretch was still called Via della Madonna di Costantinopoli, after the Santa Maria Odigitria Church. At the Via Capo le Case intersection it turned into the Via dell’Angelo Custode. The name Via del Tritone was not used till the early 19th century, although only for the stretch between Piazza Barberini and the Via Due Macelli.
In 1873, the Via del Tritone got its current look. Until then the street had been relatively narrow and mainly characterized by vineyards and gardens. The Largo dei Due Macelli became the Largo del Tritone. The Via dell’Angelo Custode, part of the Vicolo Mortaro and the Vicolo Cacciabove were all added to the Via del Tritone.
The street was widened, but in order to achieve this several houses needed to be destroyed. The Palazzo Poli was decimated.
The second stretch was widened in 1905. In 1928, the architect Gino Venturi, had the part between the Via della Stamperia and the Via Due Macelli broadened another 20 meters. In order to do this, the Angelo Custode Church had to be destroyed.
Tourist attractions Via del Tritone
Santa Maria Odigitria Church
The Santa Maria Odigitria Church (n. 82) is is named for an effigy of the “Madonna and Child” preserved inside. It is the national church of the Sicilian Community in Rome. It is closed on Sundays.
Albergo Marini Strand
The Albergo Marini Strand (n. 17) is located in a building designed by Luca Carimini in 1888. The ground floor is completely taken up by shops. The piano nobile is characterized by dimension stone and windows decorated with stucco ornaments.
Palazzo Salimei
The Palazzo Salimei (n. 36) dates back to 1883 and is the seat of the Magazzini Coen. Like many contemporary buildings, it is designed by Gaetano Koch. On the Via Poli side, there is a plaque with two statues. The plaque dates the foundation of the Coen house back to 1880.
Via del Tritone, 66
The building on n. 66 was designed by Francesco Azzurri in 1885. Above the door and architrave you can see the face of a female, while the windows of the mezzanine are decorated with lion heads. The rest of the building is also decorated with all sorts of flowers, garlands, stars, female figures, lions and winged animals.
Palazzo del Tritone (n. 132)
The Palazzo del Tritone is located on the corner of the Via del Boschetto. It is built in a stye Italians call Liberty, and is known elsewhere as art nouveau. The seond facade, on the Via degli Avignonesi, is lower than the one on the Via del Tritone. Construction was finished in 1910.
Largo del Tritone
The Largo del Tritone was created when the Traforo Umberto I (“Umberto I Tunnel”), connecting the Via del Tritone to the Via Nazionale, was constructed. The palaces lining this small square were designed by Arturo Pazzi. The Largo del Tritone can also boast the city’s oldest traffic light (1925).
Traforo Umberto I
The tunnel itself runs below the Gardens of the Quirinal Palace. It was designed by Alessandro Viviani in 1905.
Palazzo del Messagero
The art nouveau Palazzo del Messagero used to be the Hotel Select. It was constructed between 1910 and 1915 and is richly decorated with tympanums, pillars and stucco ornaments. There are two Venetian windows at the top. In 1920, the building was acquired by the then owners of the Il Messaggero newspaper, the Perroni brothers.
Deutsche Bank
Across the road from the Palazzo del Messagero you can see the former seat of the Magazzini Old England. Constructed between 1910 and 1913, this used to be th seat of the Banca d’America e d’Italia, before becoming an affiliate of the Deutsche Bank. The facade is decorated with several effigies of Mercurius, the Roman God of trade and profit, but also of travellers.
Via del Tritone Shopping
The Rinascente warehouse is located on the corner with the Via Due Macelli.
Galleria Esedra
The Galleria Esedra shopping mall is on the corner with the Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando. The Mr. Muzio store in this mall sells kitchenware, but also wines. Pastry lovers can go to the Pasticceria D’Agnino, which was founded in the 1950’s by a chef who wanted to open a pastry store for his fellow Sicilians.
Public transportation
Metro line A: Barberini. Bus lines: 52, 53, 62, 63, 83, 85, 116, 160, 160F, 492, C3, N4, N5, N12, N25.