Piazza Navona
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Quick Facts
- In 86 CE Piazza Navona was a competition arena known as Circus Agonalis, built as requested by Emperor Domitian, who was the youngest son of Vespasian who built the Colosseum
- The stadium could seat 15,000 to 30,000 people andwas used for mostly sporting events such as: Pankration (a mixture of fighting and boxing), Fighting, Javelin, Discuss, Shot-put and Foot races. There was no killing at this stadium in the name of sport.
- It was paved over in the 15th century and for 300 years thereafter was Rome's main market square.
- On June 23, 1650, Pope Innocent X had the fountain drains closed so the water would overflow into the square. This created a large swimming pool in the central recessed area, where poor people had fun splashing abiout in the heat of the day. This practice continued on Saturdays and Sundays during the month of August for about 200 years, until 1866. when Pope Pius IX ended the fun - maybe he couldn't swim!
Overview
The Piazza Navona occupies the very spot of the ancient Roman Circus of Domitian. The piazza still retains the form of the old circus as the houses all around it were built on the step-like seats, called cavea, of the circus itself. It is possible to tour some of the underground of this site.
The word circus is from the Latin word circle. Our current use of the word circus, is a carry-over from ancient times. Circus, was of circle, but the shape of a Roman Circus was in the shape of the letter U to accommodate chariot races. Today, most of the long-lost circus-U’s of Rome, sit in the middle of piazzas. Piazza Navona is a fine example of an ancient stadium that has been turned into a monumental square.
The Circus of Domitian, which was also called the Stadium of Domitian, was the first permanent stadium to accommodate foot races and other athletic competitions in Rome. The word stadion is the measurement equivalent to 600 feet, which was the distance covered by the speed foot race; the most important race of all the athletic competitions.
In approximately 80 CE, the stadium was built of brick, covered in marble and decorated with statues. It could seat approximately 15,000 - 30,000 spectators.
Contrary to Greek athletic events in which the athletes competed in the nude, Romans wore clothes. The stadium was paved in the 15th century to create Piazza Navona.
Saint’ Agnese in Agone
While sporting events were taking place in the arena, the arcades along the undersides of the building were busy with brothels. It is said that Saint Agnese met her martyr’s death in the brothels of these arcades. A small church was built on the site in her honour. In 1652, it was demolished to make way for the large Baroque church we see today. The word agnon means struggle, or contest, or competition in athletics. The word Agone was eventually changed to Navona.
While the small church still stood, Pope Innocent X liked the atmosphere of the 16th century square. Because of his love of the square, he hired Girolamo Rainaldi to build the Pamphii Palace, his family palace, so his family could move into the neighbourhood.
It seems that the Pope was happy with the work that Girolamo did while building the palace and hired him to build the new church as well. In 1652, Girolamo brought his son Carlo Rainaldi on board with him, but father and son couldn’t get along with each other so they lost the job to Francesco Borromini.
Construction in the Baroque style began in 1652 under the direction of the Pope who was having the church built as a small addition to his house; a kind-of private chapel for family get-togethers. An opening was made in the walls of the dome so the family could go to church without leaving their attached palace.
The church took a few years to build and by the time Borromini was working on the upper part of the façade in 1655, the Pope died. Camillo, the Pope’s nephew took over and wasn’t particularly interested in the church so Borromini quit. Carlo, the son who was fired earlier, was rehired to finish Borromini’s project. But when Camillo died, his wife hired Bernini to get involved and build the pediment above the main entrance. The twin bell towers were added to the design by Rainaldi, the son. A handful of other architects and painters were involved with the whole project; sometimes working together, sometimes working alone. In general terms, Borromini gets credit for this building.
The large four storey Pamphili Palace located to the left side of the church is the palace that was built by Girolamo Rainaldi for the Pope in 1644. But it ends up that once the palace was finished the Pope gave it to his sister-in-law. She and her family lived there until 1647 when the son married into money and the bride came with her own house. The whole family abandoned this palace and moved over to the new house on Via del Corso with the bride.
This palace ended up being used to host Cardinals and writers. It is currently the Brazilian Embassy.
The word circus is from the Latin word circle. Our current use of the word circus, is a carry-over from ancient times. Circus, was of circle, but the shape of a Roman Circus was in the shape of the letter U to accommodate chariot races. Today, most of the long-lost circus-U’s of Rome, sit in the middle of piazzas. Piazza Navona is a fine example of an ancient stadium that has been turned into a monumental square.
The Circus of Domitian, which was also called the Stadium of Domitian, was the first permanent stadium to accommodate foot races and other athletic competitions in Rome. The word stadion is the measurement equivalent to 600 feet, which was the distance covered by the speed foot race; the most important race of all the athletic competitions.
In approximately 80 CE, the stadium was built of brick, covered in marble and decorated with statues. It could seat approximately 15,000 - 30,000 spectators.
Contrary to Greek athletic events in which the athletes competed in the nude, Romans wore clothes. The stadium was paved in the 15th century to create Piazza Navona.
Saint’ Agnese in Agone
While sporting events were taking place in the arena, the arcades along the undersides of the building were busy with brothels. It is said that Saint Agnese met her martyr’s death in the brothels of these arcades. A small church was built on the site in her honour. In 1652, it was demolished to make way for the large Baroque church we see today. The word agnon means struggle, or contest, or competition in athletics. The word Agone was eventually changed to Navona.
While the small church still stood, Pope Innocent X liked the atmosphere of the 16th century square. Because of his love of the square, he hired Girolamo Rainaldi to build the Pamphii Palace, his family palace, so his family could move into the neighbourhood.
It seems that the Pope was happy with the work that Girolamo did while building the palace and hired him to build the new church as well. In 1652, Girolamo brought his son Carlo Rainaldi on board with him, but father and son couldn’t get along with each other so they lost the job to Francesco Borromini.
Construction in the Baroque style began in 1652 under the direction of the Pope who was having the church built as a small addition to his house; a kind-of private chapel for family get-togethers. An opening was made in the walls of the dome so the family could go to church without leaving their attached palace.
The church took a few years to build and by the time Borromini was working on the upper part of the façade in 1655, the Pope died. Camillo, the Pope’s nephew took over and wasn’t particularly interested in the church so Borromini quit. Carlo, the son who was fired earlier, was rehired to finish Borromini’s project. But when Camillo died, his wife hired Bernini to get involved and build the pediment above the main entrance. The twin bell towers were added to the design by Rainaldi, the son. A handful of other architects and painters were involved with the whole project; sometimes working together, sometimes working alone. In general terms, Borromini gets credit for this building.
The large four storey Pamphili Palace located to the left side of the church is the palace that was built by Girolamo Rainaldi for the Pope in 1644. But it ends up that once the palace was finished the Pope gave it to his sister-in-law. She and her family lived there until 1647 when the son married into money and the bride came with her own house. The whole family abandoned this palace and moved over to the new house on Via del Corso with the bride.
This palace ended up being used to host Cardinals and writers. It is currently the Brazilian Embassy.
The Fountain of the Four Rivers
Historians will chatter for hours about the tumultuous relationship between Borromini and Bernini, but the short version is that they didn’t really like each other, and their conflict is legendary. The Fountain of the Four Rivers, by Bernini has associated with it stories of their dislike. It is said that Bernini sculpted the four men in the fountain in strategic positions, so they didn’t have to spend eternity facing the horror of Borromini’s church façade. But the truth of it is that the fountain was built between 1647 and 1651, before the church was built!
The Pope had always wanted a fountain in the square, so he rustled-up a competition to find the best design. Artists could submit models of their ideas from which the Pope would select the one he liked. Bernini, however, wasn’t allowed to submit an entry because he was friends with the former Pope, the Barberini, and the current Pope didn’t like that. So, the Pope’s niece, who liked Bernini, snuck Bernini’s design model into the Pamphili Palace and strategically placed it in front of the Pope’s nose without the Pope knowing who made the model. He fell in love with the design and conceded to Bernini as the architect. Construction began in 1651.
The fountain represents the four rivers of the continents that were known at that time.
The fountain is carved out of travertine rock and the contrast between Bernini’s roughness of the rock texture and smooth skin is dramatic. He was particularly skilled carving the two extremes.
The obelisk is a Roman copy made during the reign of Domitian, in the Roman Period, and was originally installed at the Temple of Serapis, which was in the Field of Mars or the Campus Martius. The obelisk was moved to Circus Maxentius when Maxentius was in power. In the late 1630s, Thomas Howard, the Earl of Arundel, tried to buy it and have it moved to his castle at West Sussex in England, but Pope Urban VIII stopped it from leaving the country. In 1651, it was placed in this fountain with the Pope’s family’s symbol of the dove mounted on the top.
The people of Rome didn’t want this fountain to be built as it was paid for by the public since the Pope was out of money. It was built during the famine of 1646-48 when people were starving. The people wanted bread to eat, not a fountain. In protest, they would glue posters condemning the building of the fountain all around the square, especially on the Pasquale statue at the far end of the square.
The Pope had always wanted a fountain in the square, so he rustled-up a competition to find the best design. Artists could submit models of their ideas from which the Pope would select the one he liked. Bernini, however, wasn’t allowed to submit an entry because he was friends with the former Pope, the Barberini, and the current Pope didn’t like that. So, the Pope’s niece, who liked Bernini, snuck Bernini’s design model into the Pamphili Palace and strategically placed it in front of the Pope’s nose without the Pope knowing who made the model. He fell in love with the design and conceded to Bernini as the architect. Construction began in 1651.
The fountain represents the four rivers of the continents that were known at that time.
- Africa: The Nile is the man with the veiled head.
- Asia: The Ganges is represented with his arms down and one hand holding an oar.
- Europe: The Danube has two hands up, a beard and long hair.
- Americas: The river, the della Plata is a man with a beard, very short hair with hand raised blocking his view of the church!
The fountain is carved out of travertine rock and the contrast between Bernini’s roughness of the rock texture and smooth skin is dramatic. He was particularly skilled carving the two extremes.
The obelisk is a Roman copy made during the reign of Domitian, in the Roman Period, and was originally installed at the Temple of Serapis, which was in the Field of Mars or the Campus Martius. The obelisk was moved to Circus Maxentius when Maxentius was in power. In the late 1630s, Thomas Howard, the Earl of Arundel, tried to buy it and have it moved to his castle at West Sussex in England, but Pope Urban VIII stopped it from leaving the country. In 1651, it was placed in this fountain with the Pope’s family’s symbol of the dove mounted on the top.
The people of Rome didn’t want this fountain to be built as it was paid for by the public since the Pope was out of money. It was built during the famine of 1646-48 when people were starving. The people wanted bread to eat, not a fountain. In protest, they would glue posters condemning the building of the fountain all around the square, especially on the Pasquale statue at the far end of the square.
Fountain of the Moor
- Della Porta designed the fountain in 1575.
- Around 1652, the Pope hired Bernini to give the fountain a new look since it was right outside of the Pope’s family palace, and he wanted to improve his view.
- Bernini added three dolphins and a snail to the fountain, but the Pope didn’t like the look. The Pope had them removed and gave them to his sister-in-law. Apparently, she liked them and had them moved to her villa where they became the centerpiece for her fountain.
- Bernini dreamed up the new design of the Triton wrestling with a dolphin gripped between his legs. It seems the Pope liked the new idea.
- Folks thought that the Triton displayed features like that of an African, so the fountain became known as the Fountain of the Moor.
- The Moors are not a distinct self-defined people, but rather are various ethnic groups that came from Northern Africa and moved throughout Sicily, Malta, and the Iberian Peninsula. They are responsible for some beautiful architecture throughout southern Italy.
- In 1874, the original fountain statues were moved to the Borghese Gallery. The statues you see in the fountain today are replicas. The birds are original.
Fountain of Neptune
- The basin of this fountain was designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1574 and remained as designed for 300 years.
- Della Porta is the fellow who worked with Michelangelo and who finished the Campidoglio after the death of Michelangelo.
- In 1878, Antonio della Bitta added Neptune fighting the octopus and Gregororio Zappala added the other sculptures.
Pasquino
Pasquino, the most famous “talking” statue of Rome. Placed in a corner of Palazzo Braschi, on which it is a centuries-old tradition to affix the so-called “pasquinate” satire in verse anonymously directed to the most important and powerful figures of the city and the country.
Pasquinate" usually were written at nights, and the Romans enjoyed a good laugh in the mornings, before the messages were removed by the authorities.
Some strict laws were issued to stop this practice and Pasquino was put under surveillance. Pope Adrian VI (1522-23) even threatened to throw Pasquino into the Tiber.
The statue is what remains of a work from the 3rd century BC that was once decorating the Stadium of Domitian in today’s Piazza Navona. After it was found in the archaeological site in 1501 (with no arms, legs and head, as we see it today), it was relocated in Piazza di Pasquino, a little square named after the statue, close to piazza Navona.
Pasquinate" usually were written at nights, and the Romans enjoyed a good laugh in the mornings, before the messages were removed by the authorities.
Some strict laws were issued to stop this practice and Pasquino was put under surveillance. Pope Adrian VI (1522-23) even threatened to throw Pasquino into the Tiber.
The statue is what remains of a work from the 3rd century BC that was once decorating the Stadium of Domitian in today’s Piazza Navona. After it was found in the archaeological site in 1501 (with no arms, legs and head, as we see it today), it was relocated in Piazza di Pasquino, a little square named after the statue, close to piazza Navona.
Directions: Piazza Navona to Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Distance: 550 M Time: 9 Min
