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Rome » Piazza Navona Square and Nearby

Piazza Navona, Rome
(a photo by jasechong)

Piazza Navona is indisputably one of the prettiest squares in Rome, attracting visitors like a natural magnet day and night. It is the ideal place to spend an hour sitting in any of the elegant cafes and watching people passing by the lively square. Piazza Navona is almost elliptical, repeating the shape and the size (240 x 65 m) of the ancient stadium of Emperor Dometian dating back to the 1st century AD - Circus Agonalis, which was located on the site. The square also derives its name from the name of this stadium during the Middle Ages when the name Agonalis began to be pronounced corrupted as "n’Agona" to become eventually "Navona".

The Fountain of the Moor
(a photo by curreyuk)

The square, such as all other historic sights in Rome, has changed its appearance during the centuries many times. The mots significan reconstructions was made in 1644, when Pope Innocentius X started his plan for Baroque renovation of the city. The most impressive among the monuments appeared in this time are two splendid fountains by Bernini: The Fountain of the Moor (Fontana del Moro) situated at the southern end of the square and the Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fuimi) with a statue composition representing the 4 rivers of Eden - Danube, Nile, Rio de la Plata and Gang, flowing in the 4 ends of the known world of that time – Europe, Africa, America and Asia.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers
(a photo by Nastrina1981)

The western side of the square is flanked by the graceful façade of the Sant’Agnese Curch, created by the great rival of Bernini - Francesco Borromini. The church itself was built on the site of St. Agnes' martyrdom. The 13 year old girl died as a martyr because she refused to marry a pagan man. Close to Sant’Agnese you will see Palazzo Pamphili. It is one of the several palaces commissioned by Pope Innocentius X. Palazzo Pamphili was built by Girolamo Rainaldi in the period between 1644 and 1650 and has some interesting frescoes by Pietro da Cortona on the vault of its principal hall. Today it is the seat of the Brazilian Embassy in Italy.

Campo dei Fiori
(a photo by Petit Flocon)

A few steps from Piazza Navona, close to the River Tiber and on the site of the ancient field of Mars, Campus Martius in Latin, is located Campo dei Fiori. Its name means "a field of colours" and it is really a colourful open air market, the largest one in the city. Every day, except Sundays, the chaotic market square is full of stalls with fish, fruits, vegetables and flowers. It is crowded with seller, as if taken from a Fellini’s movie. It is strange that the square does not have a church. Nothing speaks more clearly for the entirely secular character of Campo dei Fiori than the almost hidden statue in the middle of the square. It represents the hooded figure of Giordano Bruno, a philosopher humanist burnt here alive as a heretic in 1600. The area around the market has been among the seedy neighbourhoods for a long time. Some people say that the famous Renaissance painter Caravaggio killed a man, from whom it lost in pallacorda, exactly in this neighbourhood.

Between Campo dei Fiori and the River Tiber is situated Piazza Farnese, a lively and elegant square, a counterpoint of the more neglected charm of Campo dei Fiori. Everything on this piazza bears the mark of refinement and finesse, mainly thanks to the Palazzo Farnese. This is a wonderful palace, built in 1515 and housing today the Embassy of France. A part of its graceful façade was created by Michelangelo. You can not miss to walk along the pleasant Via Giulia stree, right behind the Palazzo Farnese. This is one of the most stylish streets in the historic city centre.