Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is an ancient athletic stadium reborn as a baroque public square.

Fountain of the Four Rivers is a baroque sculpture from Bernini. Bernini is the first name in baroque Rome and is especially known for assembling multiple figures into a sculpture.

The fountain bubbling typical baroque fantasy and action represents the World’s Four Great Rivers Danube, Nile, Ganges, and Rio de la Plata. From this angle we see the river-god Ganges.

Consider this satellite view of Piazza Navona. The racetrack shape of Circus Agonalis is clearly discernible.

But what might not be so obvious is that the Churches, Palaces, and buildings surrounding the stadium occupy the former grandstand, separated by streets where were once aisles separating the various sections of grandstand.

Fountain of Neptune by Giacomo Della Porta. Roman God Neptune is fighting with an octopus.

Baroque Church San Luigi dei Francesi is the National Church in Rome of France.

The Star of this Show is Contarelli Chapel with the Calling of St. Matthew, The Inspiration of St. Matthew, and The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, all by Caravaggio.

Caravaggio was a baroque artist whose paintings are gritty and full of action, precise use of light, and portray everyday contemporary working class people from surrounding Rome as the figures.