Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is the definitive example of Baroque urban design in Roma. Unlike the medieval squares that grew organically from winding streets, Navona was built over the remains of the Stadium of Domitian, the shape of which it preserves today. The oval layout is the footprint of the ancient stadium, where athletes once competed for the Roman public. Today, the square is defined by the theatrical competition between two of the most significant architects of the Baroque period: Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. ## The Baroque Rivalry The square serves as a battleground of ego. In the center sits Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, a grand, exuberant display featuring a central obelisk surrounded by figures representing the world's major rivers. Across from it stands Borromini’s church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. The legend that the statues on Bernini’s fountain are shielding their eyes from the sight of Borromini's church is a fabrication, but it persists because it perfectly captures the spirit of the space. The rivalry between these two architects pushed the boundaries of ornamentation and structure, turning the entire square into a permanent stage set. ## Looking Past the Surface Because this is one of the most popular squares in the city, the edges are lined with mediocre restaurants and vendors selling mass-produced art. Ignore them. The value of Piazza Navona is found by standing in the center and looking up at the interplay of light and stone. The facade of the church is a masterpiece of concave and convex curves, a signature of Borromini’s restless style, while Bernini’s fountain displays the kinetic energy of High Baroque sculpture. ## When to Visit The square is most crowded in the late afternoon and evening, when the light hits the fountain and the street performers fill the space. If you want to see the architecture without the noise, visit at sunrise. The stone, bleached white by the Roman sun, takes on a different quality in the early morning light. It is an essential study in how 17th-century popes transformed the ruins of the Roman past to serve their own religious and aesthetic agendas, creating a space that remains the city's most theatrical public stage.