The optical illusion to see St. Peter’s dome
Did you know? The optical illusion of via Piccolomini: the closer you get to St. Peter’s dome, the smaller it gets. Another of the countless curiosities related to the Eternal City. Rome always offers fantastic views that leave you breathless.
via Piccolomini is no exception with its emotion, which is also completely free.
In Rome, near the Gianicolo hill, between via Aurelia Antica and via Leone XIII, there is via Piccolomini, a straight and flat road, which ends with a fantastic viewpoint over the city. On the whole avenue the Dome of San Pietro is clearly visible, which seems to float on nothing. As you get closer to the end of the road, where the lookout is located, expect to see the dome get bigger and bigger. But no: the closer you get to the dome, the more it shrinks. On the contrary, moving away from the dome, one can see it grow and get bigger and bigger. The effect is even more noticeable at night. Why does this phenomenon occur?
The reason for this architectural illusion has not yet been fully explained. It is probably an optical deception of the proportions or, perhaps, it is due to the orientation of the avenue with respect to the dome. A game of perspectives in one of the most beautiful spots in the city, which leaves everyone speechless and fascinates, not just tourists. So much so that it has become one of Rome’s new attractions. The optical effect occurs not only if you walk down the street, but also if you are by car or motorbike.
The game of perspectives deceives the eye. Approaching the end of the road and the belvedere, thanks to a game of perspective axes, San Pietro becomes smaller and smaller. It’s fun to see the difference between the two perspectives: at the beginning of the street, Michelangelo’s Cupolone seems really huge, while when you find yourself in front of it, lost in the rest of the city, it appears tiny.
Via Piccolomini is perfectly aligned with the dome of San Pietro which appears exactly in the center of the terrace; probably the human eye tends to make the monument the protagonist and contextualize the rest at a later time.
The place is one of the most loved in Rome by young people, who often met here before the pandemic, to celebrate birthdays, toast, and take photos in front of the majestic panorama. Previously there was only a low wall, but for some years now the Municipality has had a railing installed, also because the point has become a real meeting place, as often happens in the panoramic points of large cities.
Unfortunately, until the arrival of the pandemic, the street also became a meeting place for not just curious people and tourists, with caciaroni and revelers who cannot resist the charm of the masterfully illuminated San Pietro and also leave bottles and glasses, forgetting to clean up after the party.
