Via del Corso

From mainstream to high-end on Rome's shopping thoroughfare
Noteworthy for: From the 15th century to the 19th, this street was used as a racetrack during the Roman Carnival for the running of riderless horses called the "corsa dei barberi", hence its name.

One of Rome's only straight streets, you can follow Via del Corso for a mile from Piazza Venezia at the southern end to Piazza del Popolo to its north. The city's main shopping thoroughfare, the greatest concentration of shops is around Piazza di Spagna getting less swish the further from it you walk with designer labels and upmarket boutiques giving way to chain stores like Zara, Miss Sixty and Diesel.
While much of it is a rush of buses and shoppers, north of the Piazza del Parlamento the streets are pedestrianised, and you'll find the most pleasant shopping.