It represents verso Moor, or African (perhaps originally meant esatto be Neptune), standing per a conch shell, wrestling with a dolphin, surrounded by four Tritons
I would recommend going in the mornings, as it is much quieter, and the sellers are not about con the mornings! Don’t miss an Italian ice cream sitting at the posh «3 Scalini» (3 steps) restaurant or, better, buy Tartufo in 9.5 euros (see Tip below). We shall pass through Centro Navona con many of our trips durante Rome .
It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built durante 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones («games»), and hence it was known as «Circus Agonalis» («competition stadio»). It is believed that over time the name changed preciso mediante avone preciso navone and eventually esatto Navona.
Vena dei quattro fiumi (four rivers) or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, topped by the Obelisk of Domitian, brought here con pieces from the Circus of Maxentius. The luogo of the fountain is tagged a basin from the centre of which rocks rise to support four river gods and above them, an ancient Egyptian obelisk surmounted with the Pamphili family emblem of verso luogo with an olive twig. Collectively, they represent four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority had spread: the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Oriente, and the Rio de la Plata representing the Americas.
Vena del Bruno (Moor Fountain): The Southern most fountain. The fountain was originally designed by Giacomo della Apertura mediante 1575 with the dolphin and four Tritons. Mediante 1653, the statue of the Moor, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, was added. Sopra 1874, during a restoration of the fountain, the original statues were moved to the Galleria Borghese and replaced with copies. Per aged after verso vandal attacked it with a hammer. The vandal also damaged the Trevi Fountain that night:
The middle fountain and the biggest durante the square
Fonte del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune): The Northern most fountain. The basin part of the Fontana del Nettuno, (without the sculptures) was designed mediante 1574 by Giacomo Della Apertura, who also designed the Moor Fountain at the opposite side of the square. For the next 300 years, the fountain survived without statues. The fountain as it exists today was finally completed in 1878 by Antonio della Bitta, who added the imposing sculpture of «Neptune fighting with an octopus» and Gregorio Zappala, who created the other sculptures, based on the mythological theme of the «Nereids with cupids and walruses». Statuary was added following verso competition in 1873, in order puro balance the statuary of the Moor Fountain on the south side of the centro and of the Vena dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) at its centre.
Sant Agnese sopra Rena Church (also called Sant’Agnese) is opposite the Polla dei quattro fiumi (four rivers) per Agora Navona. it is dedicated to St. Agnes born around 290. The young girl who according esatto tradition suffered as verso martyr, was beheaded at age 12 by order of Emperor Diocletian. It is a 17th-century Baroque church. It stands on the site where the early Christian Saint Agnes was martyred per the ancient Stadium of Domitian. Construction began mediante 1652 under the architects Girolamo Rainaldi and his chant Carlo Rainaldi. After numerous quarrels, the other main architect involved was Francesco Borromini who was per former student of Bernini and, later, verso rival. The interior is breath taking and really worth seeing. Inside, there is per shrine with Saint Agnes’ skull. Abrege the side altars which are dedicated sicuro martyrs and spettacolo how each one died.