podtour
The Pantheon, the Minerva and Piazza Colonna
In just a few blocks, Rome shows off its favourite trick: never throwing anything away.
The Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain: audio walk in Rome
From the Villa Medici to the Trevi Fountain, by way of the Spanish Steps: a cannonball that isn't one, a "Spanish" staircase paid for by a Frenchman, the room where Keats died, Bernini versus Borromini in the same street, and a fountain paid for by a lottery.
What this walk is about
You start at the top, outside the Villa Medici, with a cannonball that legend pins on a queen and a column that calls an embassy a prison. You head down the steps paid for by a Frenchman's legacy after a long legal battle, look up at the house where Keats spent his last days, and at a fountain that seems to be sinking. Two streets away, Borromini knocks down Bernini's work inside the same building. Then you follow the water: aqueduct arches named after a girl and, at the end, the Trevi Fountain, paid for with lottery tickets and finished by someone else, and the truth about the coin.
- Start
- The queen's cannonball
- Finish
- A coin or a drink?
- Who it is for
- For anyone interested in art, fountains and poets. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The queen's cannonball
- 2
The embassy described as a prison
- 3
The copied obelisk
- 4
A staircase between two kings
- 5
The piano that saved a room
- 6
The boat that seems to sink
- 7
Borromini pulls down Bernini's work
- 8
The bell tower and the angels
- 9
The girl said to have found the water
- 10
Why is it called Trevi?
- 11
Thirty years of lottery money
- 12
A coin or a drink?
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Rome, before you go
Rome calls for a water bottle, reliable shoes and room for a detour. Its squares link up on foot; the hills and sunshine decide how many you will enjoy in a day.
More walks nearby
Piazza del Popolo and Via Margutta
For centuries, almost everyone arriving in Rome from the north came in through this gate.
From the Quirinale to Via Veneto
You start in front of the giants of the Quirinale and the palace from which a French general took a pope away at night, and in whose courtyard Italy's last king said goodbye, after a reign of little more than a month.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.