Piazza Navona

About this place

Piazza Navona is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the 1st century AD Stadium of Domitian and follows the form of the open space of the stadium in an elongated oval. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones, and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis". In the 17th century it became a showcase for Baroque design, with work by Bernini and Borromini among others. The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi stands in front of the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. Walk through the space as well as around its edges. The relationship between buildings, entrances and routes reveals how everyday life was organised, and why preserving a historic setting involves more than protecting individual monuments.