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Historical Overview
Via del Corso, the most famous street in Rome, stretches for about a kilometer and a half between Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Popolo. Its history is quite complex and directly related to its ancient origins. Already existing in Roman times, it originally constituted the suburban stretch of the Via Flaminia. With the construction of the Aurelian Walls in the 3rd century AD, it took on the name Via Lata, which was also used during the Middle Ages for the section between Piazza Venezia and Piazza Colonna.
In imperial times, it was a sparsely populated street dotted with the impressive tombs of notable figures, including those of Emperor Augustus and Nero. As part of the Campus Martius, it was often at the center of urban expansion plans for the city. However, much of the ancient architecture, including four triumphal arches, disappeared during the Middle Ages, either incorporated into new buildings or stripped of their valuable materials for reuse.
It was not until the 15th century that the ancient street regained a central role in the city’s urban planning, thanks to the popes who viewed it as an important communication route to the river port of Ripetta. By papal decree in 1467, after the road was modified, it was decided that all activities and races of the Carnival—very popular among Romans and previously held at Monte Testaccio—would be moved to Via Lata. The name then changed to Via del Corso, clearly alluding to the carnival races, which featured horses among other participants.
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