Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is a Baroque public square in Rome’s historic centre built on the site of the ancient Stadium of Domitian; its distinctive elongated shape follows the stadium’s arena. The square is one of Rome’s most famous public spaces and a focal point for fountains and Baroque architecture.

At the centre stands Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, completed in 1651 and topped by an Egyptian obelisk, while the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and two other major fountains anchor the ends of the piazza. The open space is framed by 17th-century palaces and is lined with cafés, restaurants and street artists.

The site was originally occupied by the Stadium of Domitian in the 1st century AD; the current Baroque ensemble was developed in the 17th century as part of papal urban projects. The square has remained a continuous public gathering place and has been modified over time with fountain restorations and pavement works.

Piazza Navona sits in Rome’s centro storico near the Tiber River and is a short walk from other landmarks such as the Pantheon and Campo de’ Fiori. It is fully pedestrianised and accessed by foot from surrounding streets and public-transport stops.

• Origins: The square stands on the footprint of the 1st-century Stadium of Domitian and retains its elongated, athletic-stadium shape.
• Events and timing: A seasonal Christmas market and public events are traditionally held here, and cafés lining the piazza make it a busy leisure spot during daytime and evening.

What to See #

• Piazza layout: A long, oval piazza that occupies the site of the ancient Stadium of Domitian; its layout follows the stadium's perimeter and creates the square's characteristic elongated shape.
• Fountain of the Four Rivers: A large Baroque fountain completed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, surmounted by an Egyptian obelisk and decorated with robust allegorical figures representing four major rivers.
• Sant'Agnese in Agone: A 17th-century Baroque church facing the square whose exterior and interior were worked on by architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Francesco Borromini, containing notable chapels and tombs.
• Fontana del Moro and Fountain of Neptune: Two other historic fountains frame the piazza: the Fontana del Moro at the southern end and the Neptune fountain at the northern end, both integral to the square's ensemble.