Via Piccolomini Rome

An optical illusion

Alexandra from Rome

"Ride a scooter on "Via Piccolomini" in Rome and, as you get closer to St Peter's Basilica, you'll actually see it shrinking instead of growing closer!"

The Aventine Hill keyhole with the view of St Peter’s Basilica is no longer a secret – the permanent line of tourists is proof that it’s been well and truly discovered. But there’s another view of St Peter’s, a little off the beaten track, which hardly anyone knows about.

My boyfriend brought me to Via Piccolomini on the back of his scooter one evening, promising to show me an optical illusion. As we sped through the sleepy backstreets of a residential neighbourhood near Villa Doria Pamphili, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But then we turned a corner, and there it was – the dome of St Peter’s, rising up like the moon at the end of the street. We drove towards it, but the closer we got, the further away it seemed. This is the magic of Via Piccolomini – the shrinking dome.

The optical illusion works on foot too, but the illusion is much more striking when you're moving fast. Rent a scooter or car to experience the Eternal City’s best-kept secret.

Art & culture

Relaxing

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Rome Spotter Alexandra

About me I grew up in London, studied English Literature at Oxford, and now live in Rome. I'm an English teacher and a freelance writer, writing everything from articles about Rome's history and culture to SEO content about academia and adhesives. I'm also an author. My debut novel, "In Exile", was published by Unbound in 2019. Dionysus is reborn in modern Rome and creates a new cult formed of vulnerable teenage followers. The book was inspired by specific places in Rome - Villa dei Quintili on the Appian Way, the Aventine Hill, the Tiber Island - and it's deeply personal. A...

About this spot

Via Nicolò Piccolomini

€

no-price

Oct 19, 2025

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