Navona Square (Piazza Navona). Piazza Navona - the famous square of Rome
The former Roman stadium has become one of the most beautiful squares in Rome. Palaces, churches, fountains, benches and charming atmosphere make you fall in love with this amazing square.
Part of the stadium, where there were places for the lower classes, was built up with houses. Since the 15th century, Piazza Navona has served as an ordinary market square. Carnivals and equestrian competitions were held here.
Pamphili Palace
Under Pope Innocent X, the Pamphilj Palace (Palazzo Pamphilj) was erected on the square. Today it houses the Brazilian embassy.
Palace of Braschi
In the Braschi Palace (Palazzo Braschi) is the Museum of Rome (Museo di Roma), which tells about the medieval and modern life cities.
Fountains
An aqueduct of the Virgin was built to Piazza Navona. The presence of running water made it possible to arrange fountains. Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini in 1649 created the legendary (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi), symbolizing the four continents.
By that time, the fountains of the Moor and Neptune had already been built. They looked pretty simple, and Bernini decided to redo them too. The Fountain of the Moor (Fontana del Moro) was decorated with the figure of the Moor fighting a dolphin. In the 19th century, a large sculptural group was added to the structure.
The sculptures of the Neptune Fountain (Fontana del Nettuno), which was originally a simple bowl, were created at the end of the 19th century. On this bowl you can see a statue of the God of the seas, who fights with an octopus.
Today Piazza Navona is full of tourists. People are attracted here not only by magnificent fountains and temples, but also by shops. Piazza Navona is a trendy shopping destination. There are many popular boutiques of young Italian designers located in the area of the square. The area is used only for Christmas markets - at other times there is no market trade here.
How to get there
The nearest metro stations of line A are Barberini and Ottaviano, but they are far from the square. It is better to take a bus and go to the Corso Rinascimento stop.
Bus number 492 leaves from Piazza Barberini.
From the metro station line B Colosseo you can take bus 87.
From metro station line A Termini - by bus 70.
There are several more routes passing by Piazza Navona: 30, 70, 81, 87, 130F, 628, C3, No. 6, No. 7 - stop Senato or Corso Rinascimento.
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Rome. The Moor Fountain on Piazza Navona is an attraction, albeit not the main one, one of the most beautiful squares Rome.
It is located in the southern part of the square, just opposite the City Museum of Rome.
The Moor's Fountain on Piazza Navona for tourists (besides the joy of the cool clear water of the fountain on hot summer days), is also of purely historical interest
On the example of the creation of this fountain in the form in which we can see it now, the attitude of Italians to their own history can be traced.
And the history of the Fountain del Moro in Piazza Navona is as follows: long ago, at the end of the 16th century, Pontiff Gregorio XIII set the then already famous architect of Rome, Giacomo della Porta, to decorate Piazza Navona with a fountain. Della Porta by that time had successfully completed the construction of the most beautiful church of Il Gesu, the wish of the Pope is fulfilled.
But the power of the pontiffs is changing, but their desire for beauty and their own greatness, captured on the streets of the city, thank God, is not. Almost two centuries pass and Olympia Maidalchini, who belongs to the most powerful Pamphili family in Rome at that time (she was the daughter-in-law of Pope Innocent X himself), “wants” to renovate and reconstruct the Maurus Fountain in Piazza Navona. Note, not to “demolish/destroy” the old one, but to improve what already exists to your liking, and the great Bernini develops a sketch of the central figure of the Moor fighting a dolphin.
Bernini's project is executed by the sculptor Giovanni Antonio Mari, and in 1654 the Moor's Fountain gets its finished look. It remains a mystery why Bernini in his work gave the Moor to be torn to pieces by a dolphin - a symbol of freedom and divine power? There is an opinion that Bernini originally intended to embody in the center of the fountain the figure not of a Moor, but of Triton, the son of Poseidon.
In 1874, while restoring the fountain of the Moor, the central sculpture, made according to the sketches of Bernini, Giovani Mari, is sent for storage to the main collection of the great Bernini - to Villa Borghese. The sculpture of the Moor, which we see now, was made by Luigi Amici. Replacing originals with copies in our time is not such a useless thing, as it turns out.
On September 3, 2011, a vagabond, maybe out of vanity, or maybe just out of loneliness, climbed into the fountain del Moro and mutilated the innocent Moor. And what if there was an original on Piazza Navona, and besides, it was also made by Bernini ?!
Fountain of the Moor on the map of Rome:
Built during the Renaissance.
She looks like a big oval hall with fountains. Today Piazza Navona is one of the main tourist centers in the town. It is always full of different people. Fairs and carnivals are often held on the square during the holidays, and on ordinary days it is full of musicians, artists and street performers who arrange their performances right in the fresh air.
Its oval shape Navona square owes to the former ancient stadium of Domitian, from the ruins of which some houses were built around the square.
Navona Square has been a place of festivities in Rome since ancient times. On the site of the former arena of the stadium there was a market, and on holidays there were festivities with races and stadiums.
Attractions of the square
In the very center of the square is Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone(Sant Agnese in Agone), dedicated to Saint Agnes. Inside the church is a rather luxurious interior with magnificent marble bas-reliefs.
On the square is the famous Roman fountain of the Four Rivers created by Bernini. The river deities depicted on this fountain symbolize the continents known at that time - Europe, Africa, Asia and America. Bernini also slightly corrected the fountain of the Moor, previously made by Giacomo della Porta.
The amount of decorations that are present on the square, Navona square owes primarily to Pope Innocent the Tenth. The square was the family residence of the pope - palace of pamphylia. And the palace was named after the mistress of Pope Olympia Maidalchini-Pamphylia, who, in fact, was the true ruler of Rome. Even foreign ambassadors, after their arrival in Rome, went to present themselves to Donna Olympia and only then to appear before Innocent.
Olympia was a very greedy woman. Her greed was rumored all over Europe. Among other things, Olympia also managed to take possession of the papal treasury when Innocent was dying.
Olympia did not skimp on the arrangement of her life. She rebuilt the palace, ordered Pietro da Cortone to paint the main hall with frescoes, and considered Piazza Navona itself to be her personal salon.
Walking through Piazza Navona
Of the other attractions of Piazza Navona, it is worth highlighting the Gothic Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore and Braschi Palace, whose main attraction is Pasquino.
Pasquino is a bust of an antique marble statue, which was found in the 15th century during the repair of the pavement. However, the statue is not of artistic value, but of historical value. Once, a tailor named Pasquino, who was a tailor in the papal court and had access to the mysteries of the Vatican, wrote a pamphlet ridiculing the manners of the Church Fathers and nailed it to a statue. This started a tradition, and since then the opposition in Rome has used Pasquino's bust to ridicule the actions of the official government.
From Piazza Pasquino you can get to Via Governo Vecchio, where there are excellent wine restaurants, as well as shops of young Roman designers.
The palace (Palazzo Massimi alle Colonne) is the residence of one of the oldest aristocratic families in Rome, whose ancestor was Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator.
Castle of course, it was not built in ancient times, it was built in the middle of the 16th century, after the previous palace was destroyed by the soldiers of Charles the Fifth. You can get inside the palace once a year on March 15, when the princes who own the palace open the doors to the house and the palace chapel in honor of Saint Philip Neri.
Piazza Navona on the map of Rome
Piazza Navona is lost in the narrow quarters of central Rome, like almost all of its famous attractions. It's always very crowded here. Streams of tourists flock here from all sides. Some on their own, and some as part of large excursion groups led by guides repeating the same stories and legends about this square in different languages.
Piazza Navona is a rectangle elongated from north to south, shaped like a sports arena. And this is no coincidence. In ancient times, this place was actually an arena where athletes competed. The original stadium was built as a temporary stadium under Julius Caesar. Then in 85, under the emperor Domitian, the stadium was expanded and was able to accommodate up to 15 thousand spectators. The renovated stadium received the name of Domitian, and its main purpose was to hold sports competitions.
In the Middle Ages, the stadium began to be reconstructed. The arcades surrounding the stadium from the outside, which housed the shops of merchants and artisans and brothels, were demolished. The remaining foundations served as the basis for the construction of medieval houses. The arena of the stadium turned into a square, which became the venue for holidays and fairs.
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The first church on Piazza Navona was built in honor of the Holy Martyr Agnes. Agnes was born into a family of some of the first Roman Christians. According to legend, the girl attracted the attention of the son of the Roman perfect Sempronius, but rejected his courtship, because she took a vow of celibacy, deciding to devote herself to a beneficent Christian life. The perfect was enraged by her insolence, and when it turned out that the girl was a Christian, who at that time were persecuted, Agnes was given a choice: either she sacrifices to the Roman gods, or she will be thrown into a brothel in disgrace. True to her faith, Agnes refused to honor the pagan gods. The Perfect ordered that she be taken to a brothel naked, but when Agnes' clothes were torn off, a miracle happened. The girl's hair instantly grew so much that she was able to hide behind them. And later, an angel appeared to the girl abandoned in a brothel and brought her a veil. The miracles didn't end there. All the men who tried to take possession of Agnes lost their masculine strength and left in shame. The unlucky groom also visited the girl, but, before he could approach her, he suddenly died. Agnes resurrected him with her prayers, after which she, as a witch, was sentenced to be burned at the stake. But the prepared fire did not flare up and Agnes was killed with a blow of the sword.
The church, called S. Agnese in Agone, was founded in the arcades where the brothel was located. In 1652 it was decided to rebuild the church. The work was headed by Girolamo Rainaldi, and a year later he was replaced by Borromini, who radically altered the original plan, changing the replacement of the facade and creating a central part with a massive dome. From the medieval building, only the place of the martyrdom of St. Agnes remained.
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Another one interesting story connected with the magnificent Four Rivers Fountain built right at the entrance to the Basilica of St. Agnes. In 1644, Pope Innocent X decided to build an Egyptian obelisk, brought to Rome by the emperor Caracalla, next to the Pamphili family palace. A competition was announced for best project. Due to the intrigues of enemies, Bernini was the only one who was not allowed to participate in this competition. But Bernini had a patron, Prince Ludovisi, who, by a lucky chance, was married to the Pope's niece. On the advice of friends, Bernini made a model of the fountain he had conceived, which, without warning, was brought to the Pope's house and placed in the living room before breakfast. After breakfast, Pope Innocent saw the creation of Bernini and was simply delighted. The question of choosing a project was resolved by itself.
Ready fountain Bernini in a solemn atmosphere presented at first only for the Pope himself. Dad looked at the exquisite monument with pleasure for more than an hour. Leaving, he asked when the water would be released, but Bernini was cunning, evading the answer. But when the Pope turned to leave, Bernini signaled and the fountain came to life! Dad was amazed! After that, the fountain was shown to the inhabitants of Rome.
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The sculptural composition of the fountain symbolizes the four continents of the world in the form of figures personifying the rivers representing them: the Danube represents Europe, the Ganges - India and the Asian continent, the Nile - Africa, La Plata - America. In the center of the ensemble rises the same obelisk, because of which there was all the fuss.
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By the way, there is a story that guides love to tell. If you look closely, then all the figures made on the fountain look in the direction opposite to the Church of St. Agnes. And the Moor of La Plata, as if in horror, recoiled from something.
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According to rumors, in this way Bernini subtly took revenge on his ill-wishers, namely the creator of the Basilica of Sant'Agnese in Agone Borromini, with whom Bernini had a discord. It is known that Boromini considered the decoration of the church of St. Agnes tasteless. Although of course, this story is just idle speculation. The fountain was opened a little before the basilica.
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In addition to the Four Rivers Fountain, there are two more fountains on Navona Square: the Moor Fountain and the Neptune Fountain. It is to them that the square owes its popular name "Square of Three Fountains". Both of these fountains are much more modest than the fountain of the four rivers. Meanwhile, they perfectly complement the fountain ensemble of the square.
The Fountain of the Moor, located in the southern part of Piazza Navona, was originally completely without sculptures. The fountain was decorated with the central figure of the Moor by the same Bernini. Other figures appeared already in the 19th century.
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The fountain of Neptune, located on the opposite side of the square, was also without sculptures and acquired them only by the 19th century.
Today Piazza Navona is one of the main areas of attraction for tourists in Rome. Free space in the northern part of the square is densely occupied by souvenir merchants and street artists, and along the perimeter there are many colorful restaurants.
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Stay in touch!
Piazza Navona (translated Navona Square) is one of the many attractions of Rome or the Eternal City, as it is also called.
Quite elongated from south to north, the area, approximately 240 by 40 meters in size, is a promenade tourist area with three famous fountains.
Where is Piazza Navona
The attraction is located in the central part of Rome, 300 meters west of the Pantheon and 2 kilometers northwest of the Colosseum.
Geographical coordinates 41.899093, 12.473076
Fountains of Piazza Navona
There are 3 fountains in total. They then attract here not only local residents but also numerous tourists.
This is the largest fountain, located in the heart of Piazza Navona, one of the most famous in Rome. The masterpiece was erected by the sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini according to his own design, developed in the Baroque style.
The history of the appearance of this fountain is noteworthy. Pope Innocent X, who ruled in the 17th century, wanted the Pamphili obelisk, which the emperor Caracalla brought from Egypt, to rise in front of his palace. It was planned to build a fountain near the obelisk.
Bernini was not going to take part in the design competition, but Ludovisi (his patron) was able to convince the mater to create his own model of the fountain, which he arranged to show by placing it in the papal dining room.
After breakfast, Papa saw the layout and was delighted. Thus, the fate of the project was decided. At the same time, the Pope said that only those who are ready to take care not to even accidentally see him are capable of abandoning the Bernini project. Although there are rumors that the master himself was dissatisfied with the result.
The sculptor, especially for the Pope, for whom he had warm feelings, arranged a rather spectacular trick at the opening ceremony. Deciding to see the masterpiece built, the Pope appeared on the square a little before the fountain was opened to the public. He looked at the sculpture for a long time and with admiration, and before leaving he decided to clarify when the water would be launched. Bernini did not answer directly, but at the moment when the Pope, after blessing the fountain, was about to leave, he gave a signal. At that moment, the jets began to beat, which brought the patriarch to tenderness, who did not expect such a planned “miracle”.
Then the inhabitants of Rome could see the fountain, who were also captivated by its beauty.
What does the Four Rivers Fountain look like?
What exactly could the Romans see? The column, brought from the African continent by the emperor Caracalla, was artificially surrounded by a lake. In its center were symbolic sculptures of four rivers, which acted as symbols of parts of the world.
The Danube became the representative of Europe, the Ganges personified India, the great Nile, naturally Africa, and America - the La Plata River. Near each deity is an animal. Near the African is a lion, and next to the Ganges is a horse. The whole sculptural composition looks extremely lively and dynamic.
One gets the impression that the river gods found themselves in an incredible way in the square, which they themselves are quite surprised at. The Nile wrapped himself in a blanket, and the Danube is studying the African column, but the Moor, personifying the La Plata River, was horrified by something and he recoiled.
fountain legend
One of the legends says that Bernini thus portrayed one of his ill-wisher, very subtly and exquisitely taking revenge on him. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the gaze of the confused Moor is directed to the church of Santa Agnese, standing opposite. It was erected according to the project of the architect Boromini, a rival of Bernini. The sculptor did not like the building, which, in his opinion, greatly spoiled architectural ensemble the entire area. It was this gaudy architecture of Santa Agnese that terrified the Moor.
No doubt, this legend is witty, but it could not be true, because the cathedral was built a few years after the fountain. Bernini's idea was that the Moor was forced to recoil by a stone snake, which, it seems, is about to encroach on the gold coins of La Plata.
In the Middle Ages, the fountain served not only as an aesthetic decoration, but also as a source of water, which was used by the inhabitants of houses located nearby. This beautiful fountain, like some other Roman fountains, is fed by water from the Aqua Virgo aqueduct.
Fountain of Neptune
You will see it in the northern part of Piazza Navona, 90 meters from the previous fountain.
The Fountain of Neptune was formerly called "Fontana del Calderari" due to the fact that it was located next to an alley where there were blacksmith and pottery workshops that generated a lot of heat, almost like volcanic calderas.
The pool of the Fountain of Neptune was designed in 1574 by the architect Giacomo Dela Porta without a sculptural group. By the way, he was also responsible for the Fountain of the Moor, which was built in the southern part of the square.
Pope Gregory the eighth gave money for the construction.
The lower part of the pool is finished with white marble, and the upper part is made of local stone brought from the city of Pietrasanta. For more than 300 years, there was not a single statue near the fountain.
In the 19th century, the importance of Roman fountains as a source of drinking water and bathing water began to decrease, but their aesthetic and political significance increased. Especially in the second half of the 19th century, when Italy became an independent state with its capital in Rome.
The construction of the Neptune Fountain, as we see it now, was completed only in 1878 by the architect Antonio Dela Bitta. He introduced the figure of Neptune fighting with an octopus into the composition.
And another sculptor, Gregorio Zappala, worked on the creation of other statues on the mythical theme of "nereid with cupids and walruses." The statues were installed to harmonize with the figures of the fountains of the Moor and the Four Rivers.
Fountain of the Moor
As you already understood, this fountain was built in the southern part of Piazza Navona.
Sometimes it is called Fontana del Moro (in the original Fontana del Moro). Although in fact “Moor” and “Moro” are the same word.
The fountain of the Moor represents an African Moor standing on a large shell, surrounded by four tritons.
This fountain was designed by the architect Giacomo dela Porta in 1575, but it only contained dolphins and newts. Only in 1653, a statue of a Moor, designed by Bernini, was added to the architectural ensemble.
Fountain of the Moor In 1874, during the reconstruction of the fountain, the original statues were transferred to the Borghese Gallery, and copies were placed in their place.
In September 2011, the Moor's Fountain was damaged by a vandal who attacked the statue with a hammer. By the way, the same vandal damaged the famous Trevi Fountain on the same day.
