The Navona district of Rome is to be found on the eastern bank of the River Tiber in the north-west quadrant of the central city, lying opposite the Vaticano district and Vatican City. The district is centred on the Piazza Navona, the public square from which it derives its name.

See

Landmarks

• Piazza Navona - this elongated public square is without doubt the pride of Baroque Rome, completely unspoilt by traffic and modern buildings. Built over the remains of the late 1st century Stadium of Domitian (explaining its shape), the square is a popular (!) place to sip a cappuccino, shop and watch street performers. Behind the piazza at the northern end, you can still see remains of Domition's chariot racing stadium well below the current ground level. Amongst other monuments, the square features two Baroque masterpieces by Bernini and Borromini:
  • Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) - by Bernini, in the very centre of the square, incorporates an Egyptian obelisk and symbolises four of the world's great rivers (the Ganges, the Nile, the Danube and the Plata), representing the four continents known at the time.
  • the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone - by Borromini, reputed to be on the spot where St. Agnes was martyred in the fourth century A.D.
  • Fontana del Moro (Fountain of the Moor) - at the southern end of the Piazza, designed by Bernini but the main statue of the Moor was done by Giacomo della Porta and the other statues are 19th-century copies of the originals.
  • Fontano di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) - a 19th century addition to the square, made to balance the Fontana del Moro