Piazza Navona

Map
Fountain of Neptune, Piazza Navona, Rome
Piazza Navona
The Piazza Navona stands on the site of the ancient Stadium of Domitian, which was inaugurated circa 86 CE. The stadium, which could accommodate in the region of 30,000 spectators, was designed for athletic contests. The shape of Piazza Navona, curved at the north end and straight at the south, closely preserves that of the original running track (192 by 53 metres).
Fountain of the Four Rivers, Piazza Navona, Rome
Fountain of the Four Rivers
In the centre of Piazza Navona soars the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of Four Rivers), one of Bernini's many masterpieces. 
Fountain of the 'Moor', Piazza Navona, Rome
Fountain of the 'Moor'
At either end of the piazza are two more fountains: the Fontana del Nettuno and the Fontana del Moro.  
The church of Sant' Agnese in Agone, Piazza Navona, Rome
Sant' Agnese in Agone
The Piazza Navona is home to two churches: Sant' Agnese in Agone and the much less well-known Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore.  ​​
Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart), Piazza Navona, Rome
Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart)
Palazzo Pamphilj, Piazza Navona, Rome
Palazzo Pamphilj
The large building next to the church, which is now the Brazilian embassy, was once the Palazzo Pamphilj. 
Coat of arms of Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55), Fountain of the Four Rivers, Rome
Coat of arms of Pope Innocent X
The coat of arms of the Pamphilj family, to which Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55) belonged, comprises a dove with a sprig of olive in its beak and three fleur di lys. 
The heraldic dove of the Pamphilj family crowns the 'Agonalis' obelisk, Piazza Navona, Rome
The Heraldic Dove of the Pamphilj family
The facade of the Palazzo Pamphilj sports numerous doves and there are two fine papal coats of arms on the Fountain of the Four Rivers, which Innocent X commissioned. The heraldic dove of the Pamphilj family rather than a cross crowns the ancient granite obelisk, which is the centrepiece of the fountain. ​
The Pamphilj dove and weather-vane of the church of Sant' Agnese in Agone, Piazza Navona, Rome
Weathervane
​Look closely at the weathervane atop Sant' Agnese in Agone and lo and behold it comprises a Pamphilj dove. 
Photograph of the Lago di Piazza Navona by Tommaso Cuccioni, 1858, Rome
The 'Lago di Piazza Navona' by Tommaso Cuccioni, 1858
For more than two centuries, on Sundays during the month of August, it was the custom to flood the Piazza Navona. 

The custom started in 1652, the year after Bernini's fountain was completed, and lasted until 1867, when the level of the piazza was raised. What came to be known as the 'Lago di Piazza Navona' was created by stopping the outlets that carried away the fountain water thereby transforming much of the piazza into a shallow lake (lago).

​The coaches of the nobility would enter the piazza in pairs, one line moving to the right, the other to the left. The windows and balconies surrounding the square would be crowded with spectators, eager to witness the spectacle. ​