Navona - Via della pace quarter

Apartments in this quarter:
Via della Vetrina: "Rossini", an elegant studio apartment.
Vicolo della Cancelleria: "Michelangelo", a two bedroom apartment in a 17th century palazzo. Two bathrooms

You will find the map of the quarter, with precise indication of where the apartments are, in the section A2 of the map of Rome, please click here. Once you will be in the page, click on section A2, the exact location of the apartments will be shown. If you want to go directly to section A2, please click here.

It later became a baroque jewel, with masterpieces of Bernini (the Fountain of the Four Rivers and the Fountain of the Moor), Calderari (the Fountain of Neptune) and Borromini (the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone). Ruins of the ancient stadium can still be seen under the palaces (please see the last photo). Today the Piazza strikes visitors for its harmony and colours, combined with its elegance and charm. Varied people stroll or attend the piazza. One can find tourists, intellectuals, kids playing, freaks and elegant "signori, painters and artists selling their works right in the square. The kaleidoscopic, lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere blending history, art, and love for life, i.e. the peculiar Roman character, has here its most imaginative representation, disclosing to one's senses the Eternal City's universal dimension, which makes it such a magical place.
Piazza Navona has been for long used as a place for meeting and processions. During daytime life seems to be revolving around the open-air cafes, and around the artists' stands (you can have your caricature or painting at a modest cost). Like all Rome's squares and streets, the piazza changes aspect at night, when the atmosphere becomes imaginative, people seem to be mesmerized, and enjoying themselves more than daytime. In December, until Epiphany, a season market is held. Traditionally, parents come here to buy toys for their children.

The Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, and the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

Of the 3 fountains of the Piazza, fed by the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, the most renowned is the "Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi" (Fountain of Four Rivers - 1651 AD), by a mature Bernini,  following the decision of Pope Innocent X. An obelisk from the Circus Maxentius was erected over a rocky grotto, from which a lion and a horse emerge. The obelisk appears to be resting on an open cavity. The large figures represent the main rivers of the four continents known at that time: the Danube, the River Plate, the Ganges, and the Nile (with a veiled head to indicate that its source was still unknown at that time).

Close-up of the fountain.

The church of Sant'Agnese in Agone (1652 - 1670) according to tradition, stands on the site of prostitution where St. Agnes, stripped naked, was saved by dishonour by the miraculous growth of hair. Many architects worked on it (Rainaldi, who gave it the Greek cross design, Borromini, Bernini, Pietro da Cortona), although the concave facade, the dome, and the two belfries all having dynamic unity are primarily the work of Borromini. Of all the many buildings in the piazza, noteworthy are the Palazzo Pamphilj, at the left side of St. Agnes (please see the first photo), by Rainaldi, with frescos by Piero da Cortona, the church Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church), facing the Palazzo Pamphili, dates from the period of Alexander VI (1492-1503). It was called San Giacomo degli Spagnoli and it was Spain's national church in Rome. Also Palazzo Braschi, in the southwest corner, should be mentioned. Begun in 1792 by C. Morelli for the nephews of Pius VI, in was sold to the State, and presently it hosts the Museo di Roma, with sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints illustrating the history of Rome from the Middle Ages. The collection includes works by Canova, and views of Rome by Ippolito Caffi.