The Apartment Ruffo is situated in a residential and quiet area, adiacent to the Villa Borghese park and close to the most important Roman monuments, a few steps from the oval-shaped Piazza del Popolo, a dignified square and meeting of roads built in 1538 by Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese) to provide an impressive entrance to the city; it owes its present symmetry to Valadier, who added the central fountain in 1814. During summer, the steps around the obelisk and (if you’re flush enough) the cafès on either side are popular hang-outs. But the square’s real attraction is the unbroken view it gives all the way back down Via del Corso through the centre of Rome to the central columns of the Vittorio Emanuele Monument. On the far side of the piazza, hard against the city walls, the church of Santa Maria del Popolo holds some of the best Renaissance art of any Roman church. The church was originally erected here in 1099 over the burial place of Nero, in order to sanctify what was believed to be an evil place, but tooks its present form in the 15th century. Inside are frescoes by Pinturicchio in the south side and the Bramante-designed apse, which in turn boasts two fine tombs by Andrea Sansovino.

Distance Walking:

• 3 minutes to Spanish Steps
• 10 minutes to Piazza Venezia
• 13 minutes to Roman Forum
• 17 minutes to the Pantheon
• 21 minutes to Piazza Navona
• 22 minutes to Campo di Fiori 
• Distance Metro:
• 3 minutes to Spanish Steps
• 5 minutes to Trevi Fountain
• 10 minutes to Colosseum
• 14 minutes to the Roman Forum