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The
Piazza Navona is situated west of the Pantheon in the historic centre of
Rome. This is one of Rome's liveliest squares, with many outdoor cafes and
restaurants. The square was constructed on what was the former Domitian's
stadium, built by emperor Domitian in 86 AD. which has given the square
its long oval shape. The stadium was paved over in the 15th century and
the Piazza Navona was created. There still remains beneath the square,
some remains of Domitian's stadium. Guided tours to this fascinating
underground world are available, and start at the Piazza Tor Sanguigna 13. |
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The Piazza Navona became a city market in the 15th century, and continued
as such until the 1800's. It is common to find street vendors selling
tourist souvenirs, and an abundance of artists offering to sketch you for
a small fee. The square is a popular meeting place for both locals and
visitors alike, and is a pleasant place to just sit with a drink in one of
the cafes that face onto the square, and just watch the world go by, but
be warned, as with many popular locations, prices here are well above the
average. |
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The church of Sant’Agnese in Agone
which looks onto Piazza Navona, was
originally the chapel of the Pamphili family, who lived in the building
next door. It was built in the 17th century on a site that had been a
place of worship dedicated to St Agnes, who was martyred in the piazza.
Carlo Rainaldi started the construction, and was later succeeded by
Borromini, who retained his predecessors interior designs, but modified
the facade which were adorned
with columns and the addition two bell towers.
The interior is rich in statues, gilded stucco, frescoes, and marble
altarpieces, all are works of Bernini's pupils. |
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the centre of the square can be found the largest
of three
fountains in the Piazza Navona, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain
of the Four Rivers. Constructed between 1647 and 1651, the design was
first commissioned to Borromini, but was later taken over by Bernini. The
fountain consists of four figures, representing the rivers, Nile, Ganges,
Danube and Rio della Plata. The statues surround an obelisk that at one
time was located at the Massenzio Circus. All three fountains in the
Piazza Navona are fed
by the Aqua Virgo
aqueduct. |
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The
Fontana Del Moro, or
Moor Fountain, is located at the southern end of the Piazza Navona,
and takes its name from
the group of figures representing an Ethiopian fighting with a
dolphin. The work was sculptured in 1654 to a Bernini design. The
masks and sculptures of the tritons are copies of the originals
which can now be seen in the gardens of the
Villa Borghese.
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Fontana del Nettuno or
Fountain of Neptune, is located at the northern end
of the Piazza Navona. This fountain was commissioned to Giacomo della
Porta in 1574, and as with the Fontana del Moro on the southern end, the
material used was Portasanta, which is a rose marble. Della Porta's
designed the two fountains to be similar in appearance, with tritons and
large masks, but the project was never completed and for about 300 years
the fountain remained undecorated. Without anything to identity the
fountain, the local residents named it the Fontana dei Calderai
or Fountain of the Coppersmiths. Finally in 1878, Antonio Della Bitta was
commissioned to carve the statue of Neptune slaying a giant octopus, and
Gregorio Zappala carved the group of 8 sea figures playing in the basin,
two sea horses, two cherubs, two dolphins, and two Nereids or sea nymphs,
and so the fountain was renamed, Fountain of Neptune. |
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