Piazza Navona is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built in 1st Century AD on the site of the Stadium of Domitian. The ancient Romans went there to watch the games known as "Circus Agonalis". It is believed that over time the name changed to in avone to navone and eventually to navona.
Piazza Navona is one of the most famous squares in Rome and has been a space of commerce and trade since the 15th century when the local market was moved there from Campidoglio. During this time the square underwent considerable improvements and a stunning baroque facelift, to what we still see today. In the square, you can see the baroque fountain by Bernini, the Obelisk of Domitian and many other churches surrounding; as well as Pamphili Palace around the corner.
Piazza Navona has two other fountains. At the southern end is the Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta to which in 1673, Bernini added a statue of a Moor, Wrestling with a dolphin. At the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune also created by Giacomo della Porta; the statue of Neptune, by Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to create a balance with La Fontana del Moro.
During its history, the piazza has hosted theatrical events and other ephemeral activities. From 1652 until 1886, when the festival was suppressed, it was flooded on every Saturday and Sunday in August in elaborate celebrations of the Pamphili family. The pavement level was raised in the 19th century, and in 1869 the market was moved to the nearby Campo de'Fiori. A Christmas market is held in the piazza square.
In the early hours of September 3, 2011, the Fontana del Moro was damaged by a vandal. Police later found the man, who had been captured on security cameras climbing in the fountain, wielding a large rock and decapitating some of the larger and smaller figures, after they recognized him by his sneakers.
The piazza is featured in Eugene Levy's film, Once Upon a Time and in 2017 film American Assassin.
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