Via Condotti

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The Via Condotti is the narrow, shaded, street running up the picture. Seen from the top of the Spanish steps.

Via Condotti (officially Via dei Condotti) is one of the famous streets of Rome, Italy^[1]. In Roman times it was one of the streets that crossed the ancient Via Flaminia and enabled people who crossed the Tiber to reach the the Pincio hill. It begins at the Spanish steps and is named after conduits or channels which carried water to the Baths of Agrippa.

Caffé Greco (or Antico Caffé Greco), perhaps the most famous café in Rome was established at Via dei Condotti 84 in 1760, and attracted figures such as Stendhal, Goethe, Byron, Listz and Keats to have coffee there ^[2]. Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of radio, lived at Via dei Condotti 11, until his death in 1937.

Being near the Spanish steps the street is visited by large numbers of tourists. In 1989, the fashion designer Valentino went to court and attempted to stop McDonald's from opening near the Spanish steps, complaining of "noise and disgusting odours" in the vicinity of Via Condotti ^[3]. But to the dismay of some Romans, McDonalds did open there ^[4].

Via Condotti is a center of fashion shopping in Rome, dating back to the atelier of Bulgari which opened in 1905. Now, in addition to Valentino, other designers such as Armani, Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana andFerragamo all have stores on Via Condotti ^[5]^[6]. Others such as Laura Biagiotti have their offices there.^[7].