On the sides of the square facing the Palace of Conservatives and "Palazzo Nuovo” (headquarters of the picture-gallery and the Capitoline Museum, the public collection of works of art of the ancient world), and the fund Senatorial Palace, seat of power in Rome. Based on the Tabularium, it is preceded by a staircase with two flights converging with Roman statues at the base. A column on the corner holding up a copy of a bronze she-wolf (“Lupa”), symbol of the city. At the center of the square is a copy of the gilded bronze equestrian statue of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

The original Roman, recently removed and restored, it was probably saved from medieval destruction because it believed portrait of Costantine, the Christian emperor. The project is of Michelangelo Buonarroti: the square is facing San Pietro, with the pavement design centrifugal and center equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The Senatoral Palace was completed by Giacomo Della Porta and Girolamo Rainaldi and today houses the City Council of Rome.

The Palace of the Conservatives was begun by Michelangelo and always finished by Della Porta; the draft of "Palazzo Nuovo" belonged to the Rainaldi brothers (1655). On the left side of the square houses the picture-gallery capitoline, which houses an enviable overview of painting, from the Middle Ages to the 18th century: among these Tiziano, Veronese, Caravaggio, Rubens, Pietro da Cortona. In the right the Capitoline Museum in Hellenistic and Roman art. Continuing along Via del Teatro di Marcello arrives at the Temple of Vesta and "Fortuna Virile", the church of San Giorgio al Velabro and Santa Maria Cosmedin. From here to the Aventino ten minute walk, where are the churches Santa Sabina, Santa Prisca and San Alessio.

Accessed from the staircase Michelangelo's design. On top of it there is a balustrade with the statues of Dioscuri of the imperial epoch. At the center of the square to trapezoidal form is the famous statue of Marcus Aurelius, on the left is the “Palazzo Nuovo” headquarters of the Capitoline Museum, the Palace of Conservatives on the right and in front of the building behind the statue the Senatorial Palace. The stairs to the latter, made by Michelangelo, is particularly beautiful, as the fountain with the ancient statue of "Minerva seduta". At the top stands the Tower of Campidoglio of the XVI century.