The most famous square of Baroque Rome stands on the site of Domitian’s stadium and the name seems to derive from a popular corruption of the term for the competitive games “in agone” which were held here. From the times of Domitian on, the place was used almost exclusively for sports events, including the famous August regatta in which the participants wore the colours of the nobles and the civic clergy. Even now the feast of the Befana (January sixth) is celebrated there with a typical market.
But the real attraction of the square is the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, dated 1651, and thanks to which the artist gained the admiration and protection of the Pope then in office, Innocent X. The rivers represented in the fountain are the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile and the Rio de la Plata. They are arranged on a steep rocky reef from which a Roman obelisk taken from the Circus of Maxentius daringly rises up into the air.
Popular tradition has it that the sculptures on the fountain symbolize the rivalry between Bernini and Borromini, who were the most important artists in 17th century Rome. Innocent X at first had commissioned the work to Borromini, but Bernini obtained the commission by “corrupting” Donna Olimpia, the pope’s sister-in-law (he gave her a silver copy of the project).
Borromini built the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, which stands in front of Bernini’s Fountain. For this reason the personified Rivers seem to cover their faces, not to see Borromini’s “horrible” work.
In line with the Fountain of the Four Rivers are the
Fountain of the Moor, in front of the Palazzo Pamphilij and the
Fountain of Neptune, formerly of the Calderari, at the northern end of
the square.
@Rome, Italy
Spitzgogo_CHEN (Nokia 6230i), bermudafan8, robertpaulyoung, Kieran Lynam, and 51 other people added this photo to their favorites.
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paula.loren 49 months ago | reply
Ciao a tutti!
Il museo Thyssen-Bornemisza di Madrid sta realizzando un progetto chiamato "La tua città nel Thyssen".
Questo progetto, attraverso l'utilizzo dei social network in internet, mira ad avvicinare il pubblico a una serie di opere d'arte proprie della collezione permanente del museo e che raffigurano diverse città del mondo. .
Se desiderate vedere l'opera che raffigura Piazza Navona, cliccate il link accanto.
www.flickr.com/photos/27903472@N07/3110001873/
:0)
Cairlinn 49 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Piazzas, Town Squares, Market Squares, Village Greens, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
mambo1935 49 months ago | reply
Cairlinn - thanks for fave!
mambo1935 45 months ago | reply
una ossessione - thanks for fave!
26sketch (BACK) 43 months ago | reply
bellissima :)
mambo1935 37 months ago | reply
bondachat - thanks for adding!
mambo1935 36 months ago | reply
kadege59 - thanks for fav!
mambo1935 34 months ago | reply
Signal 2, Noise Ratio - thanks for fav!
mambo1935 33 months ago | reply
*Inside The Wold* - thanks for fav!
Bakar_88 32 months ago | reply
I like the mood, great composition indeed!
mambo1935 32 months ago | reply
Bakar_88 - thanks for comment!
mambo1935 32 months ago | reply
Gina Therese - thanks for fav!
mambo1935 31 months ago | reply
lok tunglee - thanks for fav!
mambo1935 28 months ago | reply
nonfotografofiori - thanks for fave!
James Laing 24 months ago | reply
Another one that benefits from being scanned rather than a new digital image
mambo1935 24 months ago | reply
James Laing - thanks for comment!
Te Whiu 12 months ago | reply
a beautiful capture
timeless classic... piazza navona!
mambo1935 6 weeks ago | reply
thanks Te Whiu!
mambo1935 6 weeks ago | reply
thanks evacois!
mambo1935 5 weeks ago | reply
thanks Sule Turem!