Piazza Navona sits atop the ancient Stadium of Domitian, which once held 20,000 spectators. Today the oblong square bustles with artists, cafes and three exquisite fountains. The centrepiece is Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651), crowned by a 16 m obelisk and symbolizing the Nile, Danube, Ganges and Río de la Plata. On the southern end, the Fontana del Moro features a muscular Moor wresting with a dolphin. The northern Fontana del Nettuno depicts Neptune fighting sea nymphs. In summers past, locals blocked the drains to create the “Lake of Piazza Navona” for cooling off.
Notable buildings include Sant’Agnese in Agone, an elegant Baroque church, and Palazzo Pamphilj (now Brazil’s embassy). Street performers, markets and al fresco dining make the square lively day and night.