Wind your way through the bustling streets of Rome’s historic city center to one of the largest and breathtaking squares at Piazza Navona. A quick 6 minute walk from the Pantheon, enroute to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, this piazza features three grand fountains, the baroque church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and is surrounded by a lively atmosphere of street restaurants, artists and musicians, constructed in the 15th century. Travel below the square for a glimpse of Rome's past, to find the hidden Stadium of Domitian built by Emperor Domitian in 86 AD.

The stadium is one of many examples of the layers of history that exists in Rome. With special permission, visitors can go underground to discover the ancient arena that was nearly 800 feet long by 215 feet wide and would have hosted up to 20,000 city spectators enjoying festivals and sporting events such as foot races. Designed in the classic Greek architectural style with an elongate U-shape, provides the reason for the in the piazza’s long oval shape, this ancient arena was once used to host the cities festivals and sporting events.

Beginning in the 8th century oratories were built over the arena followed by houses and towers in the 13th century and during the Renaissance era were replaced by churches and palaces. The Stadium is accessible from the square at Via Tor Sanguigna 3 and is illuminated by skylights. Here you will have the opportunity to admire bleachers, pillars and radial walls originally made of travertine then replaced by brick, in the curved side of the stadium.

The Navona Square was paved over in the 15th century to create what we see today - an open aired architectural museum in the heart of the Eternal City filled with Baroque era sculptures. This area’s grand stature once played host to the city’s main market for almost 300 years, before it was moved to the nearby Campo de’ Fiori in 1869.

Its main attractions are the trio of fountains starting with the spectacular centerpiece, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in 1651 by Bernini. by is Bernini’s A fountain featuring an Egyptian obelisk and male personifications of the rivers Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plate.

At either end of the Piazza Navona you will also find two more fountains predating Bernini’s, sculpted by Giacomo della Porta from 1574. At the southern end is the Fontana del Moro with four tritons, which Berning later added a statue of a Moor, wrestling with a dolphin. Then at the northern side of the square view the Fontana del Nettuno, also began by Porta, where Antonio della Bitta added Neptune fighting with a sea monster in 1878 to create harmony between the three fountains.