Why go

Piazza Navona is the most theatrical square in Rome. Its long oval shape follows the arena of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD for athletics contests, and the palaces and churches around it rest on the old stands. In the 17th century Pope Innocent X made it the showpiece of his family, the Pamphilj, and the greatest artists of the age competed to decorate it.

The result is a living stage of fountains, façades and street life. Painters set up easels, musicians play by the fountains and Romans cut across on their way to work, and the square is as lively at midnight as at midday.

What to see

  • The Fountain of the Four Rivers. Bernini’s masterpiece of 1651, with four giants representing the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Río de la Plata around an Egyptian-style obelisk.
  • Sant’Agnese in Agone. Borromini’s church facing the fountain, built on the spot where Saint Agnes was martyred.
  • The Fountain of the Moor. At the southern end, with a central figure designed by Bernini.
  • The Fountain of Neptune. At the northern end, completed with statues in the 19th century.
  • The Stadium of Domitian. Excavated arches and seating of the ancient stadium beneath the north end of the square.
  • Palazzo Pamphilj. The papal family palace, now the Brazilian Embassy.

Plan your visit

The square is free and open at all hours. The churches have their own opening times, and the underground remains of the Stadium of Domitian are a separate paid visit, listed on Tiqets from about €10. A popular story claims that Bernini’s river gods shield their eyes from Borromini’s church, but the fountain was finished before the church façade, so it is only a legend.

In December the square fills with the stalls of Rome’s best-known Christmas market, selling sweets, toys and nativity figures, until the Befana arrives on 6 January. The city’s permit for 2026 runs from 1 December to 6 January 2027, though in recent years the stalls have opened a few days into December.

Getting there

There is no Metro station nearby. Buses along Corso Rinascimento and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and tram 8 to Largo di Torre Argentina, all stop within ten minutes’ walk. The Pantheon is five minutes away, and Campo de’ Fiori is just across Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

Tips

Come early in the morning, when the square is almost empty, or after dark, when the fountains are lit. The cafés on the square charge a premium for the view, so for a meal try the streets to the west, around Via del Governo Vecchio. Keep off the fountains: climbing on them or putting your feet in the water can bring a fine. A walk from here to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain makes a classic evening stroll.

Two smaller visits add depth to the square. Sant’Agnese in Agone is usually open to visitors outside service times and has a richly decorated interior beneath its dome, and the nearby church of San Luigi dei Francesi, a few minutes’ walk east, holds three famous paintings by Caravaggio that are free to see.