Piazza di Spagna, 1860

Kieron Winn

On the Spanish Steps there sprawls in original sun
Il Padre Eterno with his rusty coat,
His bright paternal pate and hoar-frost beard,
By the fountain modelled on a stranded boat.

It is the lunch break from the studio.
A holy-featured Virgin lies at ease
After a lengthy morning of pieta.
He takes great chunks out of a mighty cheese

And she enjoys a Pantheon-domed loaf.
Both watch amorphous water’s fine largesse
Turning to spouts and brilliant shooting drops
And sinking back to fertile formlessness.

The Piazza Di Spagna is the square below the famous Spanish Steps in Rome. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations of the city. It is also adjacent to Rome's luxury shopping district.

The fountain modelled on a stranded boat is the Fontana della Barcaccia.

This poem was first published in The London Magazine.

Poetry Atlas has many other poems about Rome.

Copyright Kieron Winn

Read more about Kieron and get his latest collection of poems at www.kieronwinn.com.


Main Location:

Piazza di Spagna, Piazza di Spagna, 187 Roma, Italy


Other locations:

The Piazza di Spagna, with the fontana della Barcaccia in the foreground. Featured in Kieron Winn's poem about Rome