# Piazza Navona, Rome > Piazza Navona is a long Baroque square in central Rome that follows the outline of Domitian's 1st-century stadium. Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers stands in the middle, with the Neptune and Moor fountains at either end and Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese alongside. It's free and open around the clock; 30 minutes is enough, and evenings are lovely. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona - City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy - YesGo score: 56/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Opening hours: Open 24 hours, free - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, 24 hours - Fountains: Four Rivers (centre), Neptune (north), Moor (south) - Underground: Stadium of Domitian museum — ticketed - Christmas market: Early December to 6 January - Time needed: 30 minutes, 1.5 hours with a café and the stadium - Location: 5 minutes' walk from the Pantheon; buses to Corso Vittorio Emanuele - Coordinates: 41.89871, 12.47316 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1st century** — the square follows the track of Domitian's stadium (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 30,000** — spectators, by estimates, filled the stadium (source: English Wikipedia) - **1651** — Bernini completed the Fountain of the Four Rivers (source: English Wikipedia) - **4 rivers** — Nile, Ganges, Danube and Río de la Plata — four continents (source: English Wikipedia) - **Borromini** — designed the façade of Sant'Agnese in Agone (source: English Wikipedia) - **1980** — part of the Historic Centre of Rome UNESCO site (source: UNESCO) ## Piazza Navona history The square's long shape, rounded at the north end, comes straight from the **Stadium of Domitian**, built in the **1st century** for athletic games. Its stands held about **30,000 people**, and the houses around the piazza sit on their foundations. The name probably evolved from *in agone*, 'at the games'. Its present look dates from the 17th century, when **Pope Innocent X** of the Pamphilj family made it the forecourt of his palace and hired the two giants of Roman Baroque, **Bernini** and **Borromini**. Until the 19th century the square was flooded in summer for festive 'lake' days. ## The Fountain of the Four Rivers Bernini's centrepiece was finished in **1651**. Four giants on a rocky outcrop stand for the great rivers of the four known continents: the **Nile** (Africa, head covered because its source was unknown), the **Ganges** (Asia), the **Danube** (Europe) and the **Río de la Plata** (the Americas). An Egyptian-style **obelisk**, brought from the Circus of Maxentius on the Appian Way, rises from the rock. A popular story says the Río de la Plata raises his arm against Borromini's church façade, fearing his rival's work would collapse. It's a nice tale but untrue: the fountain was finished before the façade. ## What to see on Piazza Navona - **Fountain of the Four Rivers** — the rock, the four river gods, a lion, a horse and the obelisk. - **Fountain of Neptune** — at the north end, Neptune wrestling an octopus (19th-century figures). - **Fontana del Moro** — at the south end, carved to Bernini's design. - **Sant'Agnese in Agone** — Borromini's concave façade; free to enter. - **Palazzo Pamphilj** — Innocent X's palace, now the Brazilian Embassy. - **Stadium of Domitian** — the underground museum near the north end. - **Palazzo Braschi** — the Museum of Rome, at the southern end. ## The stadium underground About 4.5 metres below the north end of the square, the **Stadium of Domitian museum** lets you walk among the original arches and stands, with sculpture fragments and a model of the stadium. The entrance is on Piazza di Tor Sanguigna; it's ticketed, so check current prices and hours on the museum's site. Allow 30–40 minutes — and expect a fraction of the crowds above. > **Cafés on the square** Café tables on Piazza Navona are among the priciest in Rome — a coffee sitting down costs several times what it does standing at a bar one street away. Check the menu prices before you order, and eat a couple of streets back. ## Christmas market and the Befana From early December to **6 January**, Rome's oldest **Christmas market** fills the piazza with ornaments, sweets, a carousel and nativity figures. It ends with the feast of the **Befana**, the kindly witch who brings children presents on the night of 5 January. Evenings in these weeks are very busy. ## How to get to Piazza Navona 1. Walk from the [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon): 5 minutes west. 2. From [Campo de' Fiori](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/campo-de-fiori): 5 minutes across Corso Vittorio Emanuele. 3. Buses 40, 46, 62 and 64 stop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. 4. No metro nearby — Spagna and Barberini are about 20 minutes on foot. ## Piazza Navona at night Mornings are quiet: cafés opening, cleaners washing the cobbles, the fountains to yourself. **After dark** the square comes alive with street artists, musicians and floodlit fountains and domes. A good plan is to stroll through after dinner and come back for ten minutes of photos in the morning. ## Is Piazza Navona worth it? Yes — it's the most beautiful square in central Rome and an open-air gallery of Baroque sculpture, free at any hour. It sits between the Pantheon and Campo de' Fiori, so you'll pass through anyway; come back in the evening. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Find the Nile with his head covered - [ ] Step into Sant'Agnese in Agone — free - [ ] Visit the Stadium of Domitian if you like ancient Rome - [ ] Check café prices before ordering - [ ] Come back after dark for the lights ## Rome's fountains and squares: compare and choose Places in Rome with fountains and water, rated by YesGo. - [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free; basin €2 - [Spanish Steps](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/spanish-steps) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [St Peter's Square](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-square) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Villa Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-borghese) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [EUR District](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/eur) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Villa d'Este](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-deste) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15 - [Hadrian's Villa](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/hadrians-villa) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–15 ## Historic centre on foot Trevi Fountain early before the crowds, then the Pantheon at opening and Piazza Navona with Bernini's Four Rivers fountain. 1. [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free; basin €2 2. [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5 3. [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free ## Don't mix it up The Four Rivers fountain isn't the Quattro Fontane — that's a crossroads on the Quirinal with four corner fountains and Borromini's church of San Carlo. ## Tips - The Nile's head is covered — its source was unknown. - Coffee at a bar one street away costs a fraction of the piazza price. - Evenings bring lights and music. - The stadium below is almost empty of visitors. ## Questions ### What fountains are in Piazza Navona? Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in the centre, the Fountain of Neptune to the north and the Fontana del Moro to the south. ### Which rivers are on the Four Rivers fountain? The Nile, Ganges, Danube and Río de la Plata. ### Why is Piazza Navona that shape? It follows the track of Domitian's 1st-century stadium. ### What is under Piazza Navona? Remains of the Stadium of Domitian, open as a ticketed underground museum. ### When is the Piazza Navona Christmas market? From early December to 6 January. ### Is Piazza Navona free? Yes, it's a public square open 24 hours. ### How long do you need at Piazza Navona? About 30 minutes, 1.5 hours with the stadium museum and a coffee. ### Is Piazza Navona nice at night? Yes — the fountains are floodlit and street musicians play. ## How we checked History, fountains and artists from English Wikipedia. We haven't confirmed the Stadium of Domitian ticket price with an official source, hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, Piazza Navona and Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi - UNESCO World Heritage: Historic Centre of Rome --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.