Piazza del Popolo to Chiesa Nuova, Rome: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Piazza del Popolo to the Chiesa Nuova in Rome: 4 stops, about 2.9 km, about 40 minutes of walking plus about 27 minutes of listening. Start under the Flaminio Obelisk, raised by Seti I and Ramses II at Heliopolis and dug up for Pope Sixtus V in 1587, and walk along the Tiber to Ponte Cavour, built between 1896 and 1901. Cross to Castel Sant’Angelo, Hadrian’s mausoleum turned papal fortress, and finish at the Chiesa Nuova, rebuilt from 1575 for Saint Philip Neri’s congregation. Entry to the castle museum is ticketed.
- Stops:
- 4
- Distance:
- about 2.9 km
- Walking:
- about 40 min
- Listening:
- about 27 min
Piazza del Popolo to Chiesa Nuova, Rome: how long does the walk take?
About 67 minutes in all: about 40 minutes on foot over about 2.9 km, plus about 27 minutes of audio at the 4 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Piazza del Popolo to Chiesa Nuova, Rome: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Flaminio Obelisk, Ponte Cavour, Castel Sant’Angelo, and Chiesa Nuova. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.0 km, about 13 min on foot.
Route and map
Navigate with Google Maps, listen with Mappu: the stories keep playing while you follow the route.
Opens Google Maps with walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
The lion fountains around its base were added in 1823 by the architect Giuseppe Valadier.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Ponte Cavour · about 0.9 km, about 12 min on foot
Stop 2
Every year on the morning of 1 January, divers leap from its parapet into the Tiber.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Castel Sant’Angelo · about 1.0 km, about 13 min on foot
Stop 3
The Passetto di Borgo, a fortified corridor nearly 800 m long, links it to the Vatican Palace.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Chiesa Nuova · about 1.0 km, about 13 min on foot
Stop 4
Its fountain carries an inscription in the spirit of Philip Neri: love God and do not fail, do good and let others talk.
about 7 min of audio
How does this self-guided walking tour work?
The audio guides on this page stay free: open any stop to listen in your browser.
Walk Mode uses your location to narrate places as you walk. It opens in the Mappu app at the first stop, Flaminio Obelisk. Your first walk is free for three stops with a free Mappu account.
Walk Mode: 2 hours for 50 credits (€4.99 Starter pack)
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
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Plan more days in Rome
These day-by-day Mappu itineraries include Rome. The day links open the days that visit stops on this walk.
Route checked by Mappu on October 20, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.