Campo de’ Fiori

The Campo de’Fiori was originally a flower meadow near the Pompeius Theatre, hence the name. The square was built under Pope Sixtus IV and served as a place for the execution of the death penalty.

On February 17th of the holy year 1600 the Italian monk and philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt to death. He was found guilty of heresy by the Inquisition for his doubts about the divine order in the cosmos. His last words were: You who pronounce my sentence are more afraid than I, who receive it.

300 years later, when this part of the city was no longer part of the Papal States, a monument was erected on the Campo de’Fiori to commemorate the executions that had been carried out.

Until 1798, the square was used as a pillory to punish minor offences.

Every morning, except Sundays, there is a market in the square where it is possible to buy fruit, vegetables, fish and even flowers. In the afternoon and evening it is a popular meeting place for young Romans.