Quartiere Coppedè

Gino Coppedè designed eighteen palazzi and twenty-seven buildings here between 1913 and 1927 and refused to pick a style: the result mixes ancient Roman, medieval, baroque, Renaissance and art nouveau motifs in the same facades, with gargoyles, frescoed loggias, wrought iron, mosaic and a great arch carrying an iron chandelier over the entrance to the district. The Fountain of the Frogs sits in the small square; the Beatles reportedly jumped into it after a concert in 1965. The buildings are private homes, so the district is seen from the street, and it has been used repeatedly as a location for horror films.

What's there

• The entrance arch - a great arch with a wrought iron chandelier hanging from it.
• The Palazzo del Ragno - a spider mosaic on the facade of one block.
• The Fountain of the Frogs - the square's fountain with its Beatles story.
• The style mixing - medieval, baroque and art nouveau on the same buildings.

When to go

Year-round; it is a residential district open at all hours and takes half an hour to walk. Morning light suits the facades. It is well outside the tourist centre.

Before you go

All the buildings are private and there is no interior access. The district is a few streets and quickly walked. Residents ask for quiet, since people do live there.

Nearby

Villa Borghese lies south; the Via Nomentana runs east.

Key facts