Piazza Navona in Rome

Located just a few steps from the Pantheon and Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Navona is without doubt one of the most beautiful squares in the Roman capital.

Lined with cafés, ice cream parlors and restaurants, this Baroque masterpiece is a meeting place for strollers, tourists and foodies.

A Brief history of Piazza Navona

The Stadium of Domitian

In 86 AD, Emperor Domitian of the Flavian dynasty, famous for constructing the Colosseum, built a stadium on the site of what is now Piazza Navona.

With a capacity of 30,000 spectators, the Stadium of Domitian was designed for Greek-style games such as boxing, discus throw, javelin throw, and running.

By the end of Antiquity, the stadium was abandoned and fell into ruin. Over the centuries, as was common in the Middle Ages, the structure was dismantled and its materials repurposed for new buildings. Fun fact: blocks of travertine from the Colosseum can be found in St. Peter’s Basilica and Palazzo Venezia!

Piazza Navona, a Baroque Masterpiece

By the 17^th century, the Stadium of Domitian had entirely disappeared, replaced by a large esplanade that hosted a regular market.

In the grand tradition of papal builders, Innocent X (Giovanni Battista Pamphili) initiated a major rehabilitation project, enlisting the most famous sculptors and architects of the time. The Fountain of the Four Rivers is the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Bernini’s great rival, Francesco Borromini, was entrusted with the construction of the church of Santa Agnese in Agone.

Piazza Navona today

Today, Piazza Navona is heaven on earth for strollers. With its countless cafés and restaurants, the beautiful baroque square is perfect to take the pulse of the city while sipping a coffee or a glass of wine.

For the record, Piazza Navona was voted the 3^rd most beautiful square in the world by the Project for Public Spaces in 2005.

In short, Piazza Navona is undoubtedly one of the top tourist attractions in the Eternal City!

Visiting Piazza Navona

While the Stadium of Domitian has been gone for many centuries, the current Piazza Navona retains its exact shape. Narrow and elongated (276 metres/905 ft long and 54 metres/177 ft wide), the square is dotted with refreshing fountains and surrounded by splendid baroque buildings.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers

Designed by Bernini – whose magnificent sculptures can also be admired at the Borghese Gallery – the Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) is a true masterpiece.

Each of the four monumental statues represents a river, symbolizing the four known continents in the mid-17^th century: the Danube (Europe), the Nile (Africa), the Ganges (Asia), and the Rio de la Plata (America). The Oceanic continent is not represented as it had not yet been discovered!

Here’s a little riddle: why is the Nile represented with a veiled face?

…

Because, like the Oceanic continent, its source had not yet been discovered by explorers!

The obelisk atop the fountain comes from the Circus of Maxentius, built in the 4^th century along the Appian Way (Via Appia) south of Rome. The name of Emperor Domitian is inscribed on it in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

The obelisk is also topped with a dove holding an olive branch, an emblem of the Pamphili family, the family of Pope Innocent X, who commissioned the Piazza Navona’s layout.

Sant’Agnese in Agone

Built between 1652 and 1657, the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone (Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone) is the work of Francesco Borromini, Bernini’s great rival, and architects Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi.

The church features a concave façade flanked by two bell towers and topped with a dome.

Inside, the dome is adorned with frescoes depicting the Glory of Paradise, created by the Roman artist Ciro Ferri. Pope Innocent X is buried to the left of the main altar.

From the church, you can also access remnants of the Stadium of Domitian located beneath Piazza Navona.

The Palazzo Pamphili

The former residence of the Pamphili family, Palazzo Pamphili – not to be confused with Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj on Via del Corso, which Captain Ulysses also highly recommends visiting – is a beautiful baroque palace built in the mid-17^th century.

It now houses the Brazilian Embassy.

The Fountain of the Moor

Designed in 1575 by the Italian architect Giacomo della Porta, the Fountain of the Moor features, unsurprisingly, a Moor. He is surrounded by tritons blowing into large shells.

The Moor statue was not part of the original fountain but was added in 1653 by Giovanni Antonio Mari based on a design by Bernini.

The statues seen today are copies; the originals were moved to the Borghese Gallery in the late 19^th century.

The Fountain of Neptune

The third and final fountain in Piazza Navona, the Fountain of Neptune, is also the work of Giacomo della Porta. However, della Porta only created the basin. The sculptures, much more recent, were added in 1878 by Gregorio Zappalà and Antonio Della Bitta.

The Tre Scalini Ice Cream Shop and Its Tartufo

While Piazza Navona is heaven on eartj for art and architecture lovers, it is also a paradise for strollers and gourmets.

Among the many cafés and restaurants in the square, don’t miss the legendary Tre Scalini ice cream parlour: its tartufo – a very dense chocolate truffle ice cream – has made it famous beyond Italy’s borders.

Practical Information

Piazza Navona is located in the Campus Martius, just steps from the Pantheon, Palazzo Altemps, and Campo de’ Fiori.

The nearest metro station is Barberini (on line A).

If your budget allows, you’ll find one of Rome’s most beautiful and iconic hotels, Hotel Raphael, in a small street at the corner of Piazza Navona.

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Credits
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