Piazza Navona’s long oval outline follows the footprint of an ancient stadium beneath the Baroque square. Three fountains, palaces, and a church occupy a space whose shape still carries the memory of athletic contests held nearly two millennia ago.
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The square’s elongated oval is not an accident of Baroque planning. Piazza Navona follows the perimeter of the Stadium of Domitian, inaugurated in 86 CE for athletic competitions. The ancient structure lies several meters below the present street level, but its outline survives in the shape of the piazza and the curve of surrounding buildings.
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- The Stadium of Domitian opened in 86 CE.
- Piazza Navona’s outline follows the ancient stadium’s perimeter.
- Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers represents four continents known at the time.
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