Cultural Events in Rome, Italy

There are many things which the city of Rome is famous for: monuments, fountains, churches and piazza. Piazza in Italian simply means square, and because they were built as a focal point for public gatherings and meetings, most piazza will be lined with restaurants and stores.

While the majority of piazza built in Italy and by nature Rome, take traditional rectangular or other square-like shapes, there are some which defy this rule exposing the historical secrets which they hold.

Piazza Navona is probably the most famous piazza in all of Rome, its oblong shape and magnificent central fountain are known throughout the world. Its name is taken from the word 'agones' meaning games, and it was a site for sporting activity in Ancient Rome. The piazza holds three fountains, two of them usually overlooked due to the jaw dropping central one created by Bernini. The Fountain of the Four Rivers, the pièce de résistance of Bernini erected in 1651, is an impressive fusion of rock and water making the fountain not only a wonderment, as it has been for centuries, but also functional for the use of the public, centuries ago when home plumbing was absent. The fountain pays homage to the four rivers of the four continents then discovered by geographers of the time: the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Rio de la Plata.

If your visit is before dinner and assuming that you have not drunk more than your fair share of the abundant Italian wine, train your eyes on the river gods with accompanying flora and fauna. Can you guess which river is being depicted? The other two fountains in the piazza, one to the north - the Fountain of Neptune and one to the south - the Fountain of the Moor also by Bernini, are eternally overlooked by the church Sant’Agnes in Agone. Completed in 1657, the facades were constructed by one of the fiercest of Bernini’s rivals, Borromini, and is touted as one of his more restrained creations, nevertheless heavily embellished in the typical Baroque style. Why not take a quick peek inside the church, to observe the beautiful dome from the inside or the main altar? Out of respect for the sobriety of the internal atmosphere, please don appropriate attire.

There are few things in life more beautiful than a starry, summer night in Piazza Navona, the strains of a lone accordion player in the background, the scent of freshly grilled fish and the sight of the endless flow of water on pure, white marble.

Update: The Fountain of the Four Rivers is actually undergoing restoration during this period.

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