Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina

An outdoor lounge and lively meeting place, Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina is located next to Via del Corso, the beating artery of Capitoline shopping. 

The Basilica of the same name, one of the oldest churches in the city, overlooks the square. It stands on a domus, probably owned by Lucina, a wealthy Roman matron who allegedly founded an "ecclesia domestica", a place for worship inside a private house. Another theory links its name to an ancient temple dedicated to Juno Lucina, the patron goddess of childbirth. According to tradition, the women of ancient Rome drew "miraculous" water at the sanctuary, a custom confirmed by the discovery of a well still visible today in the basement. Entitled to the saint martyred in 258 on a grille, kept in a precious reliquary, the church preserves works by great masters. Among them are Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Carlo Rainaldi, Guido Reni, and Ludovico Gimignani.

On the side of the entrance to the Basilica is one of Rome's votive shrines, called "Madonnelle" by the Romans. Made in mosaic, it depicts Our Lady of Divine Love, venerated for having protected the city from destruction in the bombings of 1944.

At one end of the square, at the corner with Via del Corso, stands the elegant Palazzo Fiano, dating back to the 13th century and rebuilt in the 15th century as the seat of the titular Cardinals of the church. In 1568, the building underwent excavation work, during which the first remains of the Ara Pacis came to light. Then, from the mid-nineteenth century, other finds followed. The palace, with richly frescoed interiors, was also the seat of the prestigious Circolo degli scacchi (Chess Club) from 1923 to 1990.