Piazza Navona rock and decapitating some of the larger and smaller figures, after they recognised him by his sneakers. 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
Piazza Navona hosted theatrical events and other ephemeral activities. From 1652 until 1866, when the festival was suppressed, it was flooded on every Saturday and Sunday in August in elaborate celebrations of the Pamphilj family. The pavement level was raised in the 19th century, and in 1869 the market was moved to the nearby Campo de' Fiori. A Christmas market is held in the piazza square. In the early hours of 3 September 2011, the "Fontana del Moro" was damaged by a vandal. Police later found the man, who had been captured on security cameras climbing in the fountain, wielding a large