Rome - December 28, 2011 - Piazza Mignanelli

Column dell'Immacolatta

Past the Triton Fountain the road name changes to the via Sistina.

Diverging off the straight line by taking the street opposite the metro station. This would be to the left or east of the Via Sistina. Walk down the Via del Tritone until you come to the small piazza where the Via Dell Due Macelli, Via del Traforo and the Via del Tritone meet. Turn right onto the Via dell Due Macelli and walk north by north west. (note Interesting traffic tunnel to the south of this intersection.). Also note that towards the tunnel is the Albert pub, as I keep mentioning...

"Piazza Mignanelli: Eventually one will come to the beginning of the Piazza di Spagna, where there is a great big 19th century looking column thing with a big ol’ saint on top."

Okay, so I wrote that last sentence before we left. I found out while traveling that the colimn was set up in 1857, however the shaft is ancient and came from an unknown temple nearby.

Known as the Column dell'Immacolatta it has a lovely bronze of the Virgin Mary on the top and (as you can see in the pictures) on December 8 of every year the Pope, with the help of the Roman Municipal Fire Brigade, places a wreath around the statues neck...or in this case the arm. 

Column dell'Immacolatta, Piazza Mignanelli, entrance to Piazza di Spagna