Piazza Navona
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Piazza Navona is a square in Rome. The piazza follows the plan of an ancient Roman circus, the 1st century Stadium of Domitian[1], where the Romans came to watch the agones ("games"): today's name stems from the corruption of the latter in in agone, then nagone and navona, which actually means "big ship" in Italian.
Defined as a square in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred here from the Campidoglio, Piazza Navona is now the pride of Baroque Rome. It has sculptural and architectural creations: by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers, 1651) in the center; by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi, the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone; and by Pietro da Cortona, who painted the gallery in the Pamphilj palace.
The traditional market was moved in 1869 to Campo de' Fiori, but the square has also a traditional role in housing theatrical and costume shows, horse races, buffalo jousts. Since 1652, on every August's Sunday and Saturday, the square was turned into a lake to celebrate the Pamphilj family itself: youngsters and noble cabs played running through the square while a band played music. This feast was suppressed in 1866.
Piazza Navona contains two additional fountains sculpted by Giacomo della Porta — the Fontana di Nettuno (1574), located at the northern area of Piazza Navona, and the Fontana del Moro (1576), located at the southern area of the piazza.
Other monuments facing the square are:
- Stabilimenti Spagnoli
- Palazzo de Cupis
- Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti
- Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
- Palazzo Braschi (Museo di Roma)
The piazza is featured in Dan Brown's 2000 thriller Angels and Demons, in which the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is listed as one of the Altars of Science.
[edit] References
- ^ Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning, First, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 233. ISBN 0-06-430158-3.
- Norwich, John Julius, ed. (1988). The World Atlas of Architecture. New York: Portland House, 302. ISBN 0-517-66875-0.
- (Italian) Rendina, Claudio, ed. (2003). La Grande Enciclopedia di Roma. Rome: Roma : Newton & Compton. ISBN 88-8289-316-2.
[edit] External links
- Aerial view of Piazza Navona. Google Maps. Retrieved on October 14, 2005.
- Navona Square
- Piazza Navona
- Fountain of Neptune
- Moor Fountain
- Photo of night to Navona Square and Fountain of Neptune
- Minosh Photography
- Virtual Tour of Piazza Navona
