PiazzaDeiRepublica

This Piazza once had a portion of the Baths of Diocletian, the remains of which are now adjacent to it. It has a shape of a semicircle, and on two sides of it are the buildings that were built in the 19th century with the massive arches supported by columns. The three floors above the colonnades now house various banks and travel agencies. There is quite a traffic through it nowadays, and right in the middle of that traffic is a small island with an elegant and rather provocative fountain, Fontana delle Naiadi (Fountain of the Nayads), that was built in 1901 and created quite a stir when it was first unveiled. Each of the four nymphs is naked and when the water hits them, it creates a halo around each nymph making them look both naughty and god-like at the same time. In the middle is the figure of the sea god added later. On the other side, between the Piazza della Reppublica and Piazza dei Cinquecento, are the remains of the Baths of Diocletian. Baths were built 1700 years ago and are the largest in Rome. The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built by Michelangelo from the ruins of the Baths is right across from the colonnades. When you exit the building through the back door, you can get a very good look at the remains of the Baths. Also here, adjacent to the Piazza, is the Museo Nazionale Romano which is one of the largest museum of Roman antiquities in the world.