Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of the most beautiful and famous squares in the centre of Rome. In 86 CE, emperor Domitian commissioned this square with its unique, elongated shape. This shape is the result of its original function as the stadium for athletics competitions with stands for 20,000 spectators. Pope Innocent even organised so-called ‘water games’ during the hot summer months, for which the whole square was put under water. After the fall of the Roman Empire, houses were built where the stands used to be, but the long athletics field remained free of buildings and would later become Piazza Navona.

In addition to this fountain, the square also has two smaller fountains by Giacomo della Porta, an apprentice of Michelangelo. Several excavations were made five metres below street level of the original Stadio di Domiziano; you can visit these excavations at the Piazza Navona. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00 and a ticket costs 8 €. Nowadays, Piazza Navona has become a vibrant square with countless cafés, terraces, and street performers and portrait artists.

Location: Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy

Website: https://www.turismoroma.it/it/luoghi/piazza-navona

Hour: Open all hours

Google Rating: 4.7/5