The one thing I really love about traveling around the world is being able to combine the history of the cities, counties, and people with how they were and how they are today.

Over the centuries, Rome has been able to transform or reuse many of its sites and buildings for different uses, as seen with Piazza Navona. Located north of the Roman Forum and just a few streets west of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona is one of the most spectacular and famous squares in Rome today.

As you enter this Piazza from one of the small streets that encircle it, you’re exposed to the many different colors of the buildings surrounding it. Piazza Navona is one of Rome’s liveliest areas, with its many shops, outdoor cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs. The Piazza also features three outstanding fountains and the magnificent Baroque church of Sant’Agnese in Agone.

The most impressive of the three fountains is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) at the square’s center.  Commissioned at the request of Pope Innocent X, this fountain was constructed between 1647 and 1651. Bernini’s design features four figures representing the rivers Nile, Ganges, Danube, and Rio de la Plata. The four statues circle a rock that supports an Egyptian obelisk, which once stood on the Spina of the Circus Maxentius.

The other two fountains are the Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune fountain) at the north end of the piazza and the Fontana del Moro (Moor fountain) at the south end.

At the center, across from the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, is the church Sant’Agnese in Agone. Pope Innocent X also commissioned this church. The façade of this beautiful church was designed by Borromini, and the Fountain of the Four Rivers was designed by Ravel. The church was completed in 1670.

As you walk around this spacious piazza, you’ll wonder how, in the very crowded city of Rome, they were able to build such a large square. And you’ll also notice that the south end is slightly curved. This is because before this was a piazza, it was an ancient Roman circus.

Built by the Roman Emperor Domitian in 86 AD, this stadium had a larger arena than the Colosseum, which opened six years earlier. First named the Stadium of Domitian after the emperor, it was later changed to the Circus Agonalis (competition arena). This one was primarily used for races, sports, and festivals, as was the case with most Roman circuses.

Over time, the stadium began to be called ‘in agon,’ then ‘none,’ and finally ‘Navona.’ Sometime in the fifteenth century, the abandoned arena was paved over to create the present square. Still today, you can see remnants of the old circus. There are guided tours that take you underground to view the circus’s ancient foundations.