Four Rivers Fountain, Fountain in Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi stands at the center of the long Piazza Navona and consists of oversized male figures supporting an Egyptian obelisk made of pink granite. Carved from Carrara marble, the basin is surrounded by naturalistic rocks through which water cascades in multiple streams, bringing motion to the stone figures below.
In 1647 Pope Innocent X had a conduit built to bring Aqua Virgo water to Piazza Navona and announced a competition for a fountain there. Bernini won with a silver model shown to Olimpia Maidalchini; work ran from 1648 to 1651. The Agonal Obelisk, unearthed in 1647 at the Circus of Maxentius, was set on top.
The Latin name referring to four rivers evokes the 17th-century belief in four continents, each symbolized by a river sculpture. Travelers often notice the powerful poses of the figures and their animals and plants creating references to distant lands.
The piazza allows free access throughout the day, with morning hours or late afternoon being less crowded. Restaurants and cafés surrounding the square provide seating with views of the flowing water, while street performers and vendors populate the area especially in the evening.
A widespread anecdote claims the Nile statue shields its eyes from the nearby Sant'Agnese church, but the fountain was completed years before the church facade. The hollow beneath the rock formation creates a small grotto through which passersby can hear the water rushing.
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