Italy for everyone

Piazza Navona in Rome

The luxurious Navona Square is considered one of the most beautiful in the Italian capital. Her appearance in many respects evolved in the Baroque era. It was then that the area was decorated with elegant palazzos and fountains. From this article you will learn about the history and features of Piazza Navona, its world-famous fountains, as well as what role they played in the famous conflict of the geniuses Bernini and Borromini.

Helpful advice: if you are preparing for a trip to Rome in these very minutes, we recommend downloading our audio guide around the city for the iPhone link, which will help you find out all the most important things, significantly saving on guides and excursions.

After installation, the audio guide works even without the Internet, and all objects of the audio excursion are already plotted on a convenient map of Rome. An audio tour of the center of Rome costs only 5 Euros, which is much cheaper than even the most budget tours. You can install the application on this page.

History and modernity of Piazza Navona

It is known that on the site of Piazza Navona in the era of ancient Rome was located the stadium of Domitian. There is an opinion that the name of the square itself came from the word “agon”, which meant “games”.

One of the earliest buildings on the square is considered the church of St. Agnes. It was here that the young saint suffered martyrdom. The church was first mentioned in the 12th century. A century later, the church of Santa Maria del Sacro Cuore and a couple of fountains appeared, providing adjacent quarters with drinking water.

St. Agnes Church became one of the earliest buildings in the square

The modern appearance of Piazza Navona is strongly associated with representatives of the ancient family of Pamphili. It was they who, in the 15th century, acquired three houses on the square. Two centuries later, Jambatista Pamphili became the next Pope under the name Inocentius X.

With his support, the Pamphili family palace was rebuilt, which he subsequently presented to his brother’s wife Donna Olympia. The choice of the new owner was not accidental. Rumor had it that the pontiff was in love with her.

The modern look of the square is closely connected with the surname Pamphili

It was at the bottom of Olympia that the appearance of a luxurious square was largely formed. Famous architects took part in its decoration: from Girolamo Rainaldi to the ever-implacable Bernini and Borromini.

Over the centuries, the square has become the center for celebrations and public events. Here and now you can find many street artists and actors entertaining the audience.

Piazza Navona is also famous for its Christmas market with bright carnivals.

Fountains on Piazza Navona

Navona Square is decorated with three graceful fountains: Four Rivers in the center, Moor in the south and Neptune in the north.

The first fountains along the edges of the square appeared at the insistence of Pope Gregory XIII in the XVI century. Their bowls are the merit of the architect Giacomo della Porta. Later, in front of the church of St. Agnes, another drinker for horses was erected.

It is noteworthy that for almost 200 years, during the hot summer months, the fountains flowed off on weekends, the water filled the area, and aristocrats had fun, traveling around the artificial lake on their carriages.

Moor Fountain in Piazza Navona

However, Donna Olympia did not like the existing fountains. The medieval relic did not reflect the luxury of the modern square.

The first alteration was a fountain with newts, located opposite the Palazzo Pamphili. Its appearance is the merit of Lorenzo Bernini. It was he who decorated the fountain with dolphins and an impressive figure of the Moor in the center.

The central composition - the fountain of the Four Rivers - was also created by Bernini, but not without cunning and ingenuity.

The Neptune Fountain adorns the northern part of the square

The thing is that Bernini was a favorite of Pope Urban VIII, with whom Innocent X had a long-standing conflict. When the competition for the new fountain was announced, the Pope simply “forgot” to send Bernini's invitation. As a result, his favorite Francesco Borromini was in the lead.

In order to somehow rectify the situation, Bernini created a silver model of the future fountain and presented it as a gift to Donna Olympia. Olympia was a greedy woman, and she accepted the gift without a doubt. The issue with the architect was resolved.

Borromini, an already unloving Bernini, was beside himself with rage.

The Fountain of Four Rivers is located in the center of the square

Rumors circulated around the city that Bernini deliberately unfolded one of the river figures as if she was terrified of the facade of the church that Borromini was working on, and Neil completely covered his face so as not to see this "nightmare".

Borromini avenged by depicting Saint Agnes on the top of the facade of the temple, looking reproachfully at the hated fountain.

As for the fountain of Neptune, then in its final form it took shape only in the 19th century. It was originally planned in the center of the composition to place the female figure in a pair to the Moor, but such a decision did not pass the competitive selection. Therefore, from the top, people walking in the square are watched by the god of rivers and seas.

Watch the video: Piazza Navona to St. Peter's Square Rome Virtual Walk in 4k Part 5 (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Italy for everyone, Next Article

Where to eat in Rome: reasonably priced places to eat
Italy

Where to eat in Rome: reasonably priced places to eat

Trastevere is an old district of Rome, locals call it "gastronomic paradise". In their opinion, it is in this picturesque area that the best restaurants, taverns, trattorias are located. Cozy restaurants in Rome Restaurants and cafes in the historic center of Rome are frankly overpriced. These establishments have a high traffic of visitors, so the owners try to take the maximum from tourists and do not seek to impress and get regular customers.
Read More
Coppa - jerky Italian pork neck sausage
Italy

Coppa - jerky Italian pork neck sausage

Each Italian province prefers different types of meat, but cuttings from the neck and shoulder of a pig are popular in all regions. Of them make a traditional product - Coppa (Coppa). The bright red color and marble-white veins on the cut create a truly bewitching spectacle. Spices for it vary depending on the place of production.
Read More
Spain Square
Italy

Spain Square

The square of Spain is always crowded. Tourists buy ice cream, sit down on the stairs, eat and enjoy the beautiful view. Nearby are many shops and boutiques. A cute fountain adds a twist to this place. Plaza de Espana (Piazza di Spagna), photo sergio Plaza de Espana (Piazza di Spagna) is one of the most cozy and elegant squares in Rome, a collection of architectural masterpieces and historical monuments.
Read More
Italian salami
Italy

Italian salami

This time we will again talk about the Italian product, which is firmly rooted in domestic tables.Salami (Salame) - a kind of hard sausage with bacon, appreciated throughout the world. Once in Italy, only privileged classes of the population enjoyed it. Today, almost everyone can afford salami at least for a holiday.
Read More