Piazza Navona is one of the most evocative places in Rome. The square takes its name from the term ‘Agone’, which in Greek means ‘competition, battle’, used to indicate public sporting events.
In ancient Roman times, around 86 AD, the square was the Stadium of Domitian, the main arena for athletic games and chariot races, which until then had been held outside the city, in the Campus Martius.
Piazza Navona – turismoroma.it
Since the post-war period, numerous painters, artists and street artists have begun to frequent Piazza Navona and create charming open-air studios where you can buy refined souvenirs, have a caricature or portrait done to take home with you as a souvenir of one of Rome’s most iconic places.
Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona
Strolling through Piazza Navona is a unique experience, surrounded by 16th- and 17th-century palaces belonging to the oldest Roman families and enhanced by the works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. The Pamphili family wanted to celebrate its glory and grandeur by commissioning Bernini to build the monumental Fountain of the Four Rivers. The work is one of the symbols of Roman Baroque: the Ganges, the Rio de la Plata, the Nile and the Danube, the great rivers known at the time, seduce with their majesty and sculptural perfection.
Moorish Fountain and Obelisk in Piazza Navona
The church of Sant’Agnese in Agone is one of Borromini’s masterpieces. It is impossible not to be captivated by the Fontana del Moro, the Braschi and Lancellotti palaces and the overall structure of this enchanted place.
Ancient Carousel in Piazza Navona
On 6 January, Piazza Navona hosts the spectacular flight of the Befana, who glides over the jubilant crowd of children on her broomstick. It is one of the oldest and most eagerly awaited events in Rome, in one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The descent marks the end of the Christmas holidays but also a new beginning of joy and hope. As per tradition, the square is filled with craft stalls selling nativity scenes and wooden toys, the Antica Giostra a Cavalli, an antique carousel dating back to the late 1800s, a puppet theatre and traditional Roman delicacies. The aroma of succulent fried doughnuts is unforgettable.