Built over the ruins of the Stadium of Domitian (1st century BCE), the Piazza Navona is one of the gems of Baroque Rome. It is filled with open air cafes, and the place is crowded each day. There are often buskers and sometimes mimes to entertain the crowds. A combination of light medium and sculptures, the piazza is exceptionally long and owes its shape to the ruins that formed its base. Under the buildings that surround Piazza Navona are the remains of the Circus, and the circular edge of the open area marks the track on which the horses used to race. The Piazza has a beautiful church and three stunning fountains. In the centre of the piazza is Bernini's most spectacular fountain, la Fontana dei Fiumi, erected in 1651.

Page1

It has a central rocky structure that supports an obelisk that was an ancient Roman imitation of the Egyptian form. Around this structure are four giant statues/designs representing the Nile, the Danube, the Ganges, and the Rio della Plata. At the northern end is the fontana di Nettuno, with statues of Neptune and the Nereids. Finally at the southern end is the fontana del Moro which and features the statue of a Moor fighting with a dolphin. To the western side of the piazza stands the church of Sant'Angese. Agnes was a twelve-year-old Christian who refused to marry a pagan and was then martyred. The church was commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1652, and was made to commemorate her martyrdom.

All text contained in Abusy.com is licensed to the public under the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). All Information is courtesy of Wikipedia.
Copyrights | Privacy Policy | © 2005-2006 Fun Group Inc
All Poster Images Are Used With Permission Or Are Licensed Through Art.com And Allposters.com.