The Tridente ( Italian for ''Trident'') is the complex of roads formed by three straight streets of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

), departing from

Piazza del Popolo Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars (''populus'' in Latin, ''pioppo'' in Italian) after which the church of Santa Maria de ...

and diverging southward, taking the shape of a

trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine ...

Description

The street complex of the ''Tridente'' originates from an important city planning project released between 15th and 17th century, which reorganized the three streets that, starting from the main gateway of Rome,

Porta del Popolo The Porta del Popolo, or Porta Flaminia, is a city gate of the Aurelian Walls of Rome that marks the border between Piazza del Popolo and Piazzale Flaminio. History The previous name was ''Porta Flaminia'', because the consular Via Flaminia p ...

, conveyed the traffic towards the major basilicas: * Via di Ripetta towards Ponte Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica; *

Via del Corso The Via del Corso is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is straight in an area otherwise characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas. Considered a wide street in ancient times, the Corso is approximately 10 metres ...

(formerly named ''Via Lata'', an ancient lengthening of

Via Flaminia The Via Flaminia or Flaminian Way was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to ''Ariminum'' ( Rimini) on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans ha ...

), which, through

Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for the "Field of Mars", Italian ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which cov ...

, reached the papal palace of

Piazza Venezia Piazza Venezia () is a central hub of Rome, Italy, in which several thoroughfares intersect, including the Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Via del Corso. It takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia, built by the Venetian Cardinal, Pietro Barbo (l ...

and went ahead towards St. John Lateran; * Via del Babuino (formerly Via Clementina), which, through Piazza di Spagna climbed to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. Presently at the far end of the three streets forming the Tridente are respectively: *Piazza Cardelli and Via della Scrofa, at the end of Via di Ripetta; *

, at the end of Via del Corso; * Piazza di Spagna, at the end of Via del Babuino.

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tridente Streets in Rome R. IV Campo Marzio