160 ROME SILENT BEAUTY PIAZZA NAVONA, FOUNTAIN OF THE FOUR RIVERS PIAZZA NAVONA FOLLOWS THE SHAPE OF THE ANCIENT STADIUMOF DOMITIAN, WHERE ATHLETIC CONTESTS AND NAVAL BATTLES WERE HELD. DURING THE BAROQUE ERA THE PIAZZA BECAME THE FIEF OF THE PAMPHILJ FAMILY, WHO HAD A HUGE FAMILY PALAZZO BUILT THERE, ENGLOBING THE CHURCHOF SANT’AGNESE IN AGONE, MOST OF WHICHWAS THEWORK OF BORROMINI. POPE INNOCENT X PAMPHILJ HAD A FOUNTAIN BUILT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SQUARE, SIGNIFYING THE CONSECRATIONOF PAPAL DOMINIONOVER THEWORLD. EVEN THOUGH HE HAD FALLENOUT OF FAVORWITH THE POPE, GIAN LORENZO BERNINI ALSO TOOK PART IN THE COMPETITION, PRESENTING A PROJECT SO BEAUTIFUL IT WAS UNEQUALED. ANOBELISK AT THE CENTER SEEMS TO BE SUSPENDEDOVER THE VOID, AND FOUR COLOSSAL STATUES REPRESENT THE FOUR PARTS OF THE KNOWNWORLD AT THE TIME. BERNINI AND BORROMINI, ETERNAL RIVALS, FACE TO FACE.
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