Point of interest
Piazza Navona
in Rome, Italy
This elegant Baroque square, anchored by Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, is one of the old town's liveliest stages.
Where it is
Piazza Navona lies in Rome's historic centre, between the Pantheon and the Tiber, in the Parione district.
Address: Municipio Roma I, Rome
What it is
Besides Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, the square is defined by Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese in Agone and two further fountains, lined all around by cafés, restaurants and street artists. Piazza Navona is one of Rome's liveliest and most beautiful Baroque squares, especially atmospheric in the evening.
History
The square follows the elongated shape of the ancient Stadium of Domitian from the 1st century AD, over which it was built. In the 17th century it was reshaped into a grand Baroque square under Pope Innocent X. At its centre stands Bernini's famous Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) of 1651.