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Piazza Navona

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41°53′56″N 12°28′23″E / 41.89889°N 12.47306°E / 41.89889; 12.47306

Fountain of the four Rivers with Egyptian obelisk, in the middle of Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is a square in Rome, Italy. The piazza follows the plan of an ancient Roman circus, the 1st century Stadium of Domitian,[1] where the Romans came to watch the agones ("games"): It was known as 'Circus Agonalis' (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'.

Defined as a square in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred here from the Campidoglio, Piazza Navona is now the pride of Baroque Rome. It has sculptural and architectural creations: by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers, 1651) in the center; by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi, the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone; and by Pietro da Cortona, who painted the gallery in the Pamphilj palace.

File:IMG Navona0166.JPG
The Piazza looking south

The market was moved in 1869 to Campo de' Fiori. The square has hosted theatrical shows and horse races. After 1652, on every August Saturday and Sunday, the square was turned into a lake to celebrate the Pamphilj family. This feast was suppressed in 1866.

Piazza Navona contains two additional fountains sculpted by Giacomo della Porta — the Fontana di Nettuno (1574), located at the northern area of Piazza Navona, and the Fontana del Moro (1576), located at the southern end of the piazza.

The Fontana del Moro at night.
File:Piazzanavona.JPG
Piazza Navona

Other monuments facing the square are:

Trivia

The piazza is featured in Dan Brown's 2000 thriller Angels and Demons, in which the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is listed as one of the Altars of Science.

The piazza is featured in several scenes of director Mike Nichols' 1970 adaptation of Joseph Heller's novel, Catch 22.

Piazza Navona and the Fontana del Moro. The fountain (in the background, surrounded by scaffolding) is Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.

References

  1. ^ Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning (First ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-06-430158-3.
  • Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-06-430158-3.
  • Norwich, John Julius, ed. (1988). The World Atlas of Architecture. New York: Portland House. p. 302. ISBN 0-517-66875-0. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Template:It icon Rendina, Claudio, ed. (2003). La Grande Enciclopedia di Roma. Rome: Roma : Newton & Compton. ISBN 88-8289-316-2. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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