Week 4 Class 325

What is the function of the piazza?

For today's society, I feel the function of the piazza is very much like that of a park. Because few citizens have a yard in Rome, the people go the piazza to sit and people watch or just to take in the view or some sun. One can see "grandmothers and daughters" strolling along arm in arm or lovers leisurely spending the day together.

According to The Smiles of Rome, the Piazza Navona preserves the oval hape of the stadium of the Agonale Circus. (146) This is the spot where Domitian reigned over games. Bernini tried to give a park-like flavor to the piazzas with his fountains. Smiles says that Bernini tried "to liberate the kinetic qualities of light and water through fountain sculpture." (146) He worked to provide one fluid, musical sequence with his fountins. (146) Eventually, the piazza's became thriving Wednesday markets and eventually they became the street fairs of the city. Piazzas, according to Smiles, became the trading places of gossip, political ideas and scandals.


We still see this today as people gather to sit and chat, read a book or a magazine in the piazza. They gather around the fountain or in the cafe' to exchange information, play checkers or whatever. The piazza takes on the park role because so many of Italians have no yard. They live in these high-rises and hang their laundry out the window to dry. I can only imagine how long it takes a woman to do the laundry. It must be a never ending job; I would be on strike until my husband bought me a dryer :-)