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Piazza
Navona is a square in Rome, Italy. The Piazza follows the plan
of an ancient Roman circus, the 1st Century Stadium of Domitian,
where the Romans came to watch the agones ("games"): today's
name stems from the corruption of the latter in in agone, then
nagone and navone, which actually means "big ship" in Italian.
Defined as a square in the last years of 15th century, when
the city market was transferred here from the Campidoglio, Piazza
Navona is now the pride of Baroque Rome. It has sculptural and
architectural creations: by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the famous
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers, 1651)
in the center; by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi,
the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone; and by Pietro da Cortona,
who painted the gallery in the Pamphilj palace. The traditional
market was moved in 1869 to Campo de' Fiori, but the square
has also a traditional role in housing theatrical and costume
shows, horse races, buffalo jousts. Since 1652, on every August's
Sunday and Saturday, the square was turned into a lake to celebrate
the Pamphilj family itself: youngsters and noble cabs played
running through the square while a band played music. This feast
was suppressed in 1866. Piazza Navona contains two additional
fountains sculpted by Giacomo della Porta — the Fontana di Nettuno
(1574), located at the northern area of Piazza Navona, and the
Fontana del Moro (1576), located at the southern area of the
piazza.
Other monuments facing the square are:
Stabilimenti Spagnoli
Palazzo de Cupis
Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti
Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
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