Piazza Navona, in the heart of the historic centre, has kept the elongated shape of Emperor Domitian's stadium, built around AD 86, whose stands now carry the façades of the houses. A pedestrian square open at all hours with no ticket, it brings together three fountains, including Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, and Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. In December it hosts Rome's best-known Christmas market, until Epiphany. The rest of the year, painters and portrait artists set up here, and café terraces line the edges.
Highlights
The three fountains
In the centre, the Fountain of the Four Rivers; to the south, the Fontana del Moro, designed by Giacomo Della Porta in 1575, whose central statue was added to a design by Bernini in 1653; to the north, the Fountain of Neptune, also by Della Porta, which only received its statues in 1878.
The Fountain of the Four Rivers
Commissioned by Pope Innocent X Pamphilj and unveiled in 1651, Bernini's work shows four giants representing the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Río de la Plata, one for each continent then known, beneath a Roman obelisk. The legend that the Nile covers its face so as not to see Borromini's church is false: the fountain predates the façade.
Sant'Agnese in Agone
The church, rebuilt from 1652 at the request of Innocent X, owes its concave façade and dome (1653-1657) to Francesco Borromini. It is dedicated to Saint Agnes, martyred on this spot according to tradition. Entry is free; closed on Mondays.
The Stadium of Domitian
The square follows the outline of this stadium, about 265 m by 106 m, built for athletic contests. Remains of the north entrance can be seen from the street, in Piazza di Tor Sanguigna. The underground area fitted out for visits, at Via di Tor Sanguigna 3, is run by a private operator whose concession has been in dispute since late 2024: its opening is not guaranteed in October 2026.
The Christmas market
The Piazza Navona festival brings together stalls selling nativity figures, decorations, toys and sweets, along with fairground rides. The 2025-2026 edition ran from 1 December to 6 January, every day from 9am to 1am (2am on the eve of public holidays and on public holidays), and ended as every year on 6 January with the Befana festival. The dates of the 2026-2027 edition had not yet been published by the City of Rome in early October 2026: check them on the City's website (comune.roma.it) before you go.
Palazzo Pamphilj
The long west side of the square, next to Sant'Agnese, is taken up by the palace of Innocent X's family, now the Brazilian embassy, which is not open for casual visits.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The terraces on the square are among the most expensive in Rome: check the posted prices before sitting down, or have a coffee in a nearby street. Beware of street sellers and of portrait artists who start a drawing without stating their price.
How to get there
Piazza Navona, 00186 Rome. No metro station nearby: Spagna (line A) is about a 20-minute walk away. Buses 40, 64 and 70, stops on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Corso del Rinascimento, a 2-minute walk away.
Opening hours
Nearby
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