Piazza Navona, Rome

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I first read about Piazza Navona in a book about the history of art for children, before I ever visited it. The book told the story of the Baroque sculptor and architect Bernini, who lost the contract to build the church in Piazza Navona to his competitor, and then took his revenge: When he designed the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the four Rivers) in the center of the piazza, one prominent figure appears as if he is afraid the church is going to collapse and fall on his head (see main photo).

Since then I have visited Rome several times, and every time I am drawn to this magnificent Baroque piazza. You walk through the small lanes of old Rome and it suddenly opens up in front of you in all its beauty. In its center there is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. The four river-gods of the world recline majestically, representing the four continents where Papal dominance had spread by the 17th century: Danube (representing Europe), Nile (Africa), Ganges (Asia) and Plate (America). An obelisk with the Pamphili family emblem (dove and olive twig) towers above them.

This is only one detail of the great harmonious whole which makes Piazza Navona what it is. In Roman times there was a stadium in this place, which accounts for its elongated shape.
In the 16th century this was Rome's public market square. The piazza as we see it today was commissioned by Pope Innocent X in the 17th century, glorifying his family, the Pamphili. The Pamphili palace (by Rainaldi), the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone (by Borromini and others), and two smaller fountains at either end of the piazza are other parts of the whole harmonious ensemble.

But besides the buildings, sculptures and fountains, the other source of attraction of Piazza Navona are the people. Romans and, of course, lots of tourists, some of them first-timers in Rome who try to take it all in. There are street artists, local bands playing popular Italian melodies, photographers, tour guides, and lots of people in the cafes and restaurants.

One thing is sure: Piazza Navona is a must in every visit to Rome!

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If you see one thing at night in Rome, make it this fountain in the Piazza Navona. This sculpture and masterpiece was created by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). It was commissioned by Pope Innocent X to add a flourish to his family compound and creating a fountain for Romans by using the recently restored waters of the Acqua Vergine. In the centre is the Egyptian Obelisk taken from the Circus of Massenzio. The four mammoth figures on the sides represent 4 great rivers of the known world and were created by 4 of Bernini’s students. They are:
• The figure of Nile - sculpted by Jacopo Antonio Fancelli and represents Africa
• The Ganges by Claude Poussin (Asia)
• The Danube by Antonio Raggi (Europe)
• The Plate by Francesco Baratta (Americas)
If you get the chance to see this fabulous fountain on a warm Roman night you will truly understand Rome. The Piazza is alive with cafes, restaurants, scooters and a buzz of people. Its pretty good in the daytime too.

History

One of Rome's most favous squares, or piazzas, Piazza Navona was built on the site of previous Roman monuments (like most of the city) - namely Stadium of Domitian, which does explain its oval shape. There is still a sign of Domitian left on the square - it's his obelisk that is part of the central fountain we can see today.

It is also one of the finest examples of Baroque Rome, with churches (Sant'Agnese in Agone and also Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore), fountains (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers, Fontana del Moro or Fountain of the Moor, and the Fountain of Neptune), and palaces (Palazzo Pamphili and Palazzo Braschi)

The square is a place teeming with artists, souvenir sellers, musicians, eateries and overall one could easily spend a couple of hours if visiting the monuments themselves.

Warnings

As with most popular tourist locations, beware of pick-pockets (we had an unpleasant experience at another square, that by the Trevi fountain). Also be very much prepared for the fact that it will be crowded.

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One of the more popular city squares in Rome, there were many people just hanging out at this piazza. A beautiful fountain, Fontana dei Quatrro Fiumi, is located in the piazza in front of the Palazzo Pamphilj. There are also two other fountains at the southern end of the piazza. It's very close to the Pantheon so you should combine this visit.

Some tidbits of information:

Fontana dei Quatrro Fiumi was built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1651. Dan Brown's book, Angels and Demons, listed the fountain as one of the Altars of Science and the southern end of the piazza was used in the filming of the movie.

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An example of Baroque urban planning.
The Piazza was built in 1st century to stage athletics competitions.

Its name was gradually corrupted by the Roman dialect during the Middle-Ages:
The "Piazza in Agone" became the "Piazza N'Agone", and finally the "Piazza Navona".

We talked from our hotel, to the Trevi Fountain, to the Pantheon, to the 4 rivers fountain plaza. Its an easy walk. Lots to see along the way. The fountain is large and beautiful. Couldn't see the bird on the top of the obelisk that "Demons and Angels" said was there. It looked like a lovely place to stay a while and relax.

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What a beautiful square! Piazza Navona is very popular among the visitors of Rome that come here for the lovely atmosphere as it is full of street artists, musicians, numerous outdoor cafes and many stalls with products and souvenirs. The place is always busy with people and its nice to see during the day but also later in the night (pic 1), we passed through many times during our visit as it located at the historic centre.

This baroque square has the form of the stadium of Domitian that used to be on the same site (1st century AD) and later during the middle ages it was used for horse races. There are some interesting palaces and churches(Sant'Agnese) around but also beautiful sculptures to see and 3 beautiful fountains:
Fontana del Nettuno (pic 2).
Fontana del Moro (pic 3), a beautiful fountail indeed, showing a Moor fighting with a dolphin, originall the fountain was a large basin but Bernini added the sculpture in 19th century.
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (pic 4), The fountain of the 4 rivers is my favorite one showing 4 figures that represent 4 rivers(Danube, Ganges, Nile, Plate) from 4 different continents(Europe, Asia, Africa, America). Above them is an obelisk while at the top is a dove with an olive branch. My favorite sculpture is the one of Rio de la Plata that seems to be afraid of something, lovely pose for picture (pic 5)

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The Piazza Navona is the most famous and beautiful of Rome's many squares. When one is taking photos of the square, you can't miss the baroque church of Sant' Agnese in Agone.
The Piazza Navona is situated on the historic center of Rome, west of the Pantheon. It is one of the liveliest squares with many outdoor cafes', restaurants and nights clubs in the neighborhood.