Piazza Navona Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the "agones" ("games"), and hence it was known as ""Circus Agonalis"" ("competition arena"). It is believed that over time the name changed to "in avone" to "navone" and eventually to "navona". Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred there from the Campidoglio, Piazza
Francesco Borromini only were some of his design intentions changed by succeeding architects but the net result is a building which reflects, rather unhappily, a mix of different approaches. The decision to rebuild of the church was taken in 1652 as part of Pope Innocent X’s project to enhance the Piazza Navona, the urban space onto which his family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced. The first plans for a Greek Cross church were drawn up by Girolamo Rainaldi and his son Carlo Rainaldi, who relocated the main entrance from the Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima to the Piazza Navona. The foundations were