We’ve only been in Rome a few days. On Tuesday, we walked through the nearby Piazza San Silvestro, to see the progress of the construction at Palazzo Marini, which will be the new Four Seasons Hotel. But we were surprised to see some scaffolding in the central section of the piazza. When we walked through the piazza again on Friday, the scaffolding was gone — and there stood a statue of a man with a pile of books by his side. To our delight, a certain gentleman has returned to Piazza San Silvestro!
We stroll through the piazza frequently. When you arrive from the apartment down Via della Mercede, Palazzo Marini’s facade is on the left. On the right and across Via della Mercede, is our neighborhood post office, and next to that is the Church of San Silvestro in Capite. Opposite Palazzo Marini is the flagship Starbucks and Apple Store. Then, at the far side of the piazza is a bus stop. There’s also a little green octagonal news stand on the piazza’s side of Via della Mercede across from the post office. And, in front of the news stand is, quite conveniently, a taxi stand.
Years ago, Piazza San Silvestro was, to me, a gritty piazza that marked the end of several bus lines.
In 2011, the buses were moved to the far end, and the piazza was converted to a very minimalist style with several large marble benches. (Where the buses are now is actually its own piazza, P. San Claudio.)
It was not a well liked piazza as there were no fountains, no statues, and no trees — just stone. For a little while some planters appeared with roses. To us, the planters were far too small and totally out of proportion to the vastness of the piazza. Their status as an afterthought was obvious.
A major improvement came in 2021 with the planting of several trees.
Next, we were happy to see the piazza being used as a gathering spot for group activities (yoga, etc.) and as a temporary display space for various works of art. And now, in 2026, there is a statue!
Signore Pietro Metastasio was a prominent poet and dramatist, and many of his works were set to opera. The marble statue depicts Metastasio beside a short stack of books, holding a writing quill.
The statue was originally installed in the Piazza San Silvestro in 1886. However, due to traffic concerns, it was moved to Piazza della Chiesa Nuova in 1910, so we had never “met” him before. But as on November 2026, after 116 years, he is back in his rightful place in Piazza San Silvestro. Welcome back to the neighborhood, Signor Metastasio!
