*This article is a full-length report based on the latest research and historical documents as of January 2026.

1. Deep History: From the Haunted Tomb to the "Holy Gateway"

Today, Piazza del Popolo is a popular place of relaxation with its elegant cobblestone streets and fountains, but tracing its origins reveals a surprising, dark side to its history.

The ghost of Emperor Nero and the construction of the church

In ancient Rome, this place was located at the northern end of the Campus Martius (Field of Mars), and was the boundary where the Via Flaminia entered the Roman walls. However, for medieval Roman citizens, this place was a "forbidden place" that should never be approached.

According to legend, the site of Santa Maria del Popolo today was the tomb of the notorious tyrant, the fifth emperor Nero, and was feared to be haunted by evil spirits, swarming with crows, and a constant stream of bad luck.

A turning point came in 1099, when Pope Paschal II, in order to dispel this evil legend and purify the land, collected donations from the citizens (popolo) to build a church. This is one of the reasons why the square got its name, "Popolo (Citizens' Square)" (there is also a theory that it comes from Poplar Forest). In other words, the square did not start out as part of an urban project, but rather began to carve out its history from religious motives as a kind of "exorcism."

The journey of the "obelisk" that defines the center of gravity of the city

The square began to take on its current structure from the late Renaissance to the Baroque period. The most notable change was the relocation of the Flaminio Obelisk in 1589.

Pope Sixtus V, at the time, carried out the grand "Great Remodeling Plan for Rome" to reorganize the dilapidated urban structure of Rome, connecting the major basilicas with straight roads and placing obelisks at the intersections of these roads as landmarks. This obelisk is not just a decoration.

By placing this obelisk as the central point, a strong "centripetal force" was created in what had previously been a vague open space. This was the starting point for the later "Tridente" (three-way intersection) concept.

2. Spatial Magic: "Gaze Control" by Tridente and the Twin Churches

What makes Piazza del Popolo a landmark in the history of urban planning is the existence of the three streets radiating out from the south side of the square, known as "Il Tridente" (the trident).

Functions of the "Tridente" radial road system

If you turn your back to the obelisk and face south, you will see the following three roads unfolding in a fan shape. This structure had a great influence on the urban planning of the Palace of Versailles and Washington, D.C.

• 1. Via del Corso – Central
  A direct descendant of the ancient Via Flaminia, it is the "spine of the city" that leads directly to Piazza Venezia in the heart of Rome.
• 2. Via di Ripetta – right wing (west)
  This road led to the port of Ripetta on the Tiber River and served as a route for logistics and commerce.
• 3. Via del Babuino – left wing (east)
  This road leads to the Spanish Steps and served to guide pilgrims towards the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

▲ Google Map: Three streets can be seen extending south from the square (north).

[Deep Dive] The "geometric lie" hidden in the Twin Churches

At the starting point of the Tridente, sandwiched between three roads, two wedge-shaped sites stand two churches that at first glance look identical: Santa Maria in Montesanto (left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right).

However, did you know that this work also contains the sophisticated trompe l'oeil technique unique to Baroque architecture?

In fact, the two sites are asymmetrical, with the site on the left (Monte Santo side) being narrower. If they were built to the same blueprint, the church on the left would look cramped, and the symmetry of the square would be destroyed.

So the architect Carlo Rainaldi (who later collaborated with Bernini and Carlo Fontana) came up with the following solution:

In this way, the essence of Baroque urban planning lies in overcoming physical constraints through geometric ingenuity and artificially creating the "ideal urban landscape."

3. Modern Values: Economic Revitalization through Pedestrianization

Although Piazza del Popolo is a historical heritage site, it was used as a roundabout for automobiles until the 1990s, and was a place filled with exhaust fumes and noise. However, after it was "fully pedestrianized" in 1998, its value has dramatically changed.

Correlation between walkability and economic indicators

Contrary to shop owners' concerns that "removing cars will drive away customers," pedestrianization has had a huge economic impact on the surrounding areas. The graph below shows the trend in the impact of pedestrianization projects on commercial sales in major cities around the world.

In Piazza del Popolo, pedestrians can now move freely around the area, and the terrace seats of cafes facing the square, such as Rosati and Canova, are always full, dramatically improving their brand value. Ensuring "comfort" and "connectivity" in urban spaces is no longer simply about beautifying the landscape, but can be said to be an economic strategy with the highest ROI (return on investment).

4. Application to Toyako Town, Hokkaido: Natural Obelisks and Winter Strategies

Now let's shift our perspective to Toyako Town in Hokkaido, Japan. At first glance, the stone-built city of ancient Rome and Hokkaido's naturally rich hot spring resorts seem to have nothing in common. However, when it comes to the essence of "controlling the gaze and creating the framework of a city," Roman wisdom offers extremely useful insights.

Strategy 1: Define "natural obelisks"

Just as the Roman Trident converges towards an artificial obelisk, in Toyako Town, the natural landscape itself, with its overwhelming scale, should be redefined as the "eye stop (end point of the line of sight) of the city axis."

▲ Google Map: The relative locations of Lake Toya and its surrounding areas (Mount Yotei, Nakajima, and Showa Shinzan).

Strategy 2: Reinventing the Square as a "Winter City"

The biggest challenges facing Hokkaido are snowfall and harsh winters, which Rome lacks. Vast open spaces like Piazza del Popolo can become barren wastelands in winter, with cold winds blowing through.

However, paradoxically, by viewing snow as a building material rather than an obstacle, a new form of plaza can emerge.

• Variable Square:In the summer, it functions as an open square like that of Rome, and in the winter, the space is segmented by snow sculptures and igloos, reconstructing it as a collection of "small places."
• Modern Gangi:Like a Roman portico, a series of semi-outdoor walkways will be installed in front of the building, creating a network of "protected pedestrian spaces" where people can enjoy the streetscape while avoiding snow and wind.

As Sapporo's "Chi-Ka-Ho" (underground pedestrian space) has proven, providing a comfortable walking environment in winter is a vital part of maintaining economic activity. Toyako Town needs to create plazas and axes that can function throughout the year, not by going underground, but by using "semi-outdoor" ingenuity.

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