The Spanish Steps, Revisited - Catalogue

Curated by Luca Caddia and Fulvio Chimento

On the occasion of the three hundredth anniversary of the making of the Spanish Steps in Rome, The Spanish Steps, Revisited illustrates the history that saw the Pincian slope undergo a transformation from a bone of contention between the Papacy and the French crown to one of the city’s most important monuments. The history of the Spanish Steps is also filled with multiple projects that, from the mid-sixteenth to the eighteenth century, were presented to the authorities for the purpose of connecting Piazza di Spagna and the Church of the SS. Trinità dei Monti. Giacomo Della Porta, Orazio Torriani, Alessandro Gaulli, Elpidio Benedetti, Plautilla Bricci, Alessandro Specchi are just some of the architects who, at times in collaboration, at other times in competition, contributed to the realization of the steps designed by Francesco De Sanctis. Among them, albeit in absentia, a major role was played by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
In addition to this historical reconstruction, the decision to involve contemporary artists and architects in a reinterpretation of De Sanctis’ steps serves as a sort of ‘updating‘ of the monument, and reveals a dynamic approach whose goal is to trigger a conversation between different eras, conscious of the fact that the work of the Roman architect was the result of a journey and not the only possible solution. The works, produced for the occasion and characterized by the use of various media and techniques, are an invitation to view the Spanish Steps not only as a static monument, but as a living place, capable of inspiring new visions and projects and a different way of enjoying its artistic heritage. The Keats-Shelley House, located at the foot of the Spanish Steps and the venue of the exhibition The Spanish Steps, Revisited, is the ideal stage for this artistic adventure.