Rome from the beginning till its fall almost one thousand years, the Capitoline Hillsymbolized the epicenter of Rome’s might and many of the city’s most important buildings stood on this hill.
Later, during the Middle Ages, the site continued to play an important part in Rome’s history. The senate of Rome assembled here and even today it still has some political significance since the city hall is located here. Michelangelo came up with an original, trapezoidal design for the square with an intriguing oval shaped ground pattern. He rebuilt the Palazzo Senatorio, seat of the Roman senate, and redesigned the facade of the Palazzo del Campidoglio.Additionally a new building, the Palazzo Nuovo, was to be constructed just opposite the Palazzo dei Conservatori. Both palazzos were positioned at a slight angle so that it changes the perspective in such a way that the square seems larger than it actually is.
Finally, Michelangelo’s ambitious plans for the square also included the creation of an elegant staircase, the Cordonata.
Construction of the square started in 1546 but only the staircase at the entrance of the Palazzo Senatorio was stopped when Michelangelo died in 1564. The project was finally completed in the seventeenth century according to Michelangelo’s designs.
