About This Location
Piazza Capranica is a small square in the historic center, just a short walk from the Pantheon. It often feels like a quiet pocket, even though it sits on routes that quickly lead to Piazza della Rotonda, Piazza della Minerva, and the busy streets of the Colonna district. The main landmark here is Palazzo Capranica, built in the 1400s for Cardinal Domenico Capranica. It later became a college for young clerics - the Almo Collegio Capranica, founded in 1457 and still known as the oldest Roman college. Look for the palace’s distinctive tower and the older-looking portal that hints at its Renaissance origins. Inside the same complex is Teatro Capranica, one of the historic theatres of Rome. It was created in 1679 by the Capranica family and became an important venue in the Baroque period, hosting major opera performances. On the edge of the square is the Church of Santa Maria in Aquiro. It is an ancient church site, with later rebuilding that gives it the look seen today. The calm façade and the simple entrance are a nice contrast to the bustle of the nearby main streets. Look around at the tight lanes leaving the square. This is the kind of Roman crossroads where the city changes quickly from grand monuments to everyday life - small shops, doorways, and corners that suddenly open onto famous places only a few minutes away.