Piazza della Minerva Plaza

Address: Piazza della Minerva, 00186 Rome, Italy (near the Pantheon)

Hours: Public square - open daily

Admission: Free

Piazza della Minerva is a compact square in central Rome located adjacent to the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. It is best known for the distinctive elephant-and-obelisk sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

The square’s focal point is a small ancient obelisk mounted on an elephant sculpture designed by Bernini, which stands in front of the church. Narrow streets and historic buildings tightly enclose the piazza, creating an intimate urban space near major attractions.

The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva occupies the site of an ancient temple to the Roman goddess Minerva and was rebuilt in Gothic style from the 13th century onward. The Bernini elephant and obelisk were installed in the late 17th century as a sculptural emblem for the site.

Piazza della Minerva is in Rome’s historic centre, a short walk southeast of the Pantheon and within the rione that contains many ancient and Renaissance landmarks.

• Visiting tip: The piazza is tiny and best appreciated on foot; combine a visit with the nearby Pantheon and the surrounding historic streets.

What to See#

• Santa Maria sopra Minerva church: A small Baroque-Gothic church facing the piazza; its façade and interior contain tombs and artworks dating to the medieval and Renaissance periods.
• Elephant and obelisk by Bernini: Bernini’s stone elephant supporting an ancient obelisk, positioned in the piazza as a 17th-century sculptural centerpiece.

Piazza della Minerva is immediately adjacent to the Pantheon in Rome’s historic centre (you’ll find Santa Maria sopra Minerva on the square). It is effectively a doorstep destination if you are visiting the Pantheon-only a minute or two on foot.

From Roma Termini the square is about a 15-20 minute walk or a short bus/taxi ride into the historic core.

• Visit Piazza della Minerva early in the morning or later in the evening to see Bernini's elephant obelisk and the church façade with far fewer tourists than the nearby Pantheon area.
• Go inside Santa Maria sopra Minerva to see important artworks (including Michelangelo's Risen Christ) rather than just admiring the exterior; the church is one of Rome's major Gothic interiors and is quieter than the Pantheon.
• Take a moment to photograph the unusual Bernini elephant supporting the obelisk - it's small and easy to miss amid the surrounding streets, but it's the square's defining ornament.