Piazza Navona is one of the most spectacular and iconic squares in Rome. Its distinctive elliptical shape faithfully follows the perimeter of the track of the Stadium of Domitian, built by the eponymous emperor in 85 AD to host athletics, wrestling, and other traditional games.

The square's current splendor is due to the vision of Pope Innocent X (Giovanni Battista Pamphilj), who, starting in 1644, wanted to transform the space into a celebration of his family's greatness. He commissioned The construction of Palazzo Pamphilj, the erection of the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone (entrusted to Francesco Borromini), and the creation of the monumental Fountain of the Four Rivers, a masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers
Located in the center of the square, the fountain was sculpted between 1647 and 1651 by a group of artists directed by Bernini. At the center stands an Egyptian obelisk resting on a hollow base, surrounded by four marble giants representing the rivers of the then-known continents:

• The Danube for Europe (by Antonio Raggi), flanked by a horse;
• The Ganges for Asia (by Claude Poussin), holding an oar next to a dragon;
• The Nile for Africa (by Giacomo Antonio Fancelli), with its face veiled to symbolize its then-unknown sources;
• The Rio de la Plata for America (by Francesco Baratta), with its arm raised and surrounded by coins, symbolizing the wealth of the New World.

A famous Roman legend interprets the gestures of these statues as Bernini mocking his rival Borromini: the Nile veils its head so as not to see the church of Sant'Agnese, while the Rio de la Plata raises its hand to protect itself from its possible collapse. This is, however, a suggestive anachronism: the fountain was completed before work on the church began.

The Lateral Fountains
At the ends In the square are two other splendid fountains, originally designed by Giacomo della Porta:

• The Fountain of the Moor: Located to the south, it owes its name to the central statue of the Ethiopian (or "Moor") wrestling with a dolphin, added in 1654 based on a design by Bernini.
• The Fountain of Neptune: Located to the north, it remained devoid of sculptural decoration for three centuries. It was completed only in 1878 by Gregorio Zappalà and Antonio Della Bitta, who created the central group of the God of the Sea wrestling with an octopus.