Originally designed to be a shopping mall for the wealthy, the Galleria Sciarra displays some of the best artistry and design of the late 19th century. Though it never became the shopping center it was meant to be, the galleria remains a spectacle of brilliant colors among the drab ruins throughout the rest of Rome.
Floral patterns draped along paintings of both men and women done in the fresco style adorn the walls of the center, while the ceiling allows natural sunlight to caress the courtyard and bring out the colors in the frescoed walls. A glass dome caps the interior with hundreds of panes. Built near the beautiful Trevi Fountain, the luxurious shopping center was constructed from 1885 to 1888, during a time of heavy development in Rome. The Sciarra family owned the land and wanted a to offer a fashionable shopping experience with an emphasis on the burgeoning art nouveau movement that was taking place. The frescoes almost dance along the courtyard walls in bright colors fitting of the design of the period.