L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I f y o u h a v e b e e n t o R o m e , y o u l i k e l y e n j o y e d a c o f f e e i n one of the many ele- gant, old-fashioned cafés of Piazza Navona: yes, that coffee probably cost you twice as much as any- where else, but man, was it worth it! The grandness of the square with its baroque architecture, the lively atmos- phere, the street artists — it's just such a beautiful, charac- teristic spot. B u t P i a z z a N a v o n a h a s been at the heart of Rome's social activities for almost two millennia, albeit under a different name, at least at the beginning. Its origin goes b a c k t o t h e S t a d i u m o f Domitian, built in 85 AD, w h o s e e l o n g a t e d s h a p e , stretching approximately 275 meters in length and 106 in width, has been preserved to this day. The ancient stadium could accommodate around 30,000 spectators and was known for athletic competi- tions: it is, in fact, from its original purpose that we got the square's modern name, "Navona," which comes from the Latin word agone, refer- ring to athletic contests. T h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f P i a z z a N a v o n a i n t o a baroque masterpiece was largely driven by the vision of Pope Innocent X Pam- philj during the 17th centu- ry. Under his patronage, the square was revitalized with contributions from the great- est architects of those times, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed the Fountain of the Four Rivers in 1651, and Francesco Borromi- ni, who left his mark on sig- nificant structures like the Church of Sant'Agnese in A g o n e and Palazzo Pam- philj, created with Girolamo Rainaldi. This was also the era of Piazza Navona's "water games," which transformed t h e s q u a r e i n t o a l a k e t o evoke memories of age-old naval battles, much like it used to be done in ancient t i m e s i n a n o t h e r f a m o u s R o m a n m o n u m e n t , t h e C o l o s s e u m . T h i s u n i q u e event would draw crowds for entertainment and cooling off during the hot months and shows how the social and e n t e r t a i n m e n t r o l e o f t h e square remained unchanged throughout the centuries. T h e F o u n t a i n o f t h e Four Rivers, which we've j u s t m e n t i o n e d , d e s e r v e s some more attention. Built between 1648 and 1651, it is a monumental tribute to the world's major rivers — the N i l e , t h e G a n g e s , t h e Danube, and the Rio de la Plata — each representing a known continent of the time. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, under t h e c o m m i s s i o n o f P o p e Innocent X, designed this masterpiece as a source of potable water for citizens, a n d o f c o u r s e , a l s o t o embody the greatness of its patron, the Pope. The foun- t a i n i s c r o w n e d w i t h a n obelisk of Aswan granite, k n o w n a s t h e A g o n a l e obelisk, which has an inter- e s t i n g h i s t o r y o f i t s o w n . D e s p i t e f e a t u r i n g h i e r o - g l y p h s , t h e p i e c e d o e s n ' t have Egyptian origins but was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian (81–96 AD). Its hieroglyphi- cal inscriptions, translated by seminal Egyptologist Jean François Champoillon, reveal the names of Domitian, his father Vespasian, and his brother Titus, a sign of the R o m a n s ' e f f o r t t o a d o p t Egyptian elements within their culture.This practice, known as Egyptianization, w a s p a r t o f D o m i t i a n ' s broader interest in incorpo- rating Egyptian art and tradi- tions, in what some perhaps would call "cultural appro- priation " today. In truth, back then it was, quite sim- ply, a tool to solidify Domini- tan's imperial legitimacy. The obelisk was originally placed in the Circus of Max- entius, where it suffered sig- nificant damage. Perhaps a l s o f o r t h i s r e a s o n , i t remained buried for cen - t u r i e s . I t s e x i s t e n c e w a s known to Pope Sixtus V, but it remained unearthed until Pope Innocent X ordered its excavation in 1649. Subse- q u e n t l y , t h e o b e l i s k w a s erected in Piazza Navona, where we still see it today, significantly close to Inno- cent's residence when he was a cardinal. The Fountain of the Four Rivers is also known for the legend associated with the Rio de la Plata statue, posi- tioned with its arm raised, as if shielding itself from the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, designed by Bernini's rival, Francesco Borromini. This gesture sparked urban legends, suggesting it was Bernini's way of critiquing Borromini's work. However, this interpretation is merely a l e g e n d , a s t h e c h u r c h ' s façade did not exist when Bernini designed the foun- tain! Let's move to the northern end of the square and take a closer look at the Fountain o f N e p t u n e . O r i g i n a l l y designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1574, it wasn't until the late 19th century that the fountain was completed with sculptures by Gregorio Zap- pala and Antonio della Bitta, depicting Neptune battling a giant octopus . Between Piaz- za Navona and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, we find Palaz- zo Braschi, a prominent e x a m p l e o f N e o c l a s s i c a l architecture: commissioned by Luigi Braschi Onesti, the nephew of Pope Pius VI, and designed by Cosimo Morelli, its construction mirrors the wealth and power one could accumulate through papal nepotism. Works on Palazzo Braschi began in 1790, only t o b e i n t e r r u p t e d b y t h e French occupation of Rome; the palace was eventually c o m p l e t e d a n d b e c a m e a symbol of the Braschi fami- ly's influence. Over the years, it has served various purpos- es, including being the head- quarters of the Fascist Feder- a t i o n o f R o m e d u r i n g M u s s o l i n i ' s r e i g n . A f t e r World War II, it became a refuge for homeless families, leading to significant dam- age. Since 1952, after exten- s i v e r e s t o r a t i o n , P a l a z z o B r a s c h i h a s h o u s e d t h e M u s e o d i R o m a , which celebrates the city's history f r o m t h e M i d d l e A g e s through the 19th century: here, we can find collections of art, photographs, clothing, and other objects narrating the social and artistic history of the capital. P a l a z z o D o r i a P a m - philj is another historical treasure, known for its exten- sive art collection, as well as t h e c u r i o u s l e g e n d o f O l i m p i a M a i d a l c h i n i . Olimpia had great influence during the papacy of Inno- cent X and was a prominent figure in 17th-century Rome, e s p e c i a l l y a r o u n d P i a z z a Navona. Married to Pam- philio Pamphilj, brother of Innocent X, Olimpia wielded significant power, engaging i n p o l i t i c s a n d a m a s s i n g wealth, which led to wide- spread controversy. Her rep- utation for manipulation and greed was well-known, and she played a key role in the administration of the Papal States during her brother-in- law's papacy. H e r l e g e n d l i v e s o n i n tales of her ghost haunt- i n g P i a z z a N a v o n a : according to local lore, every January 7th, the anniversary of Innocent X's death, she can be seen riding a fiery chariot filled with treasures across Ponte Sisto towards Trastevere, eventually disap- pearing into the Tiber River, where she is dragged to the underworld by demons. Lastly, we couldn't end o u r w a l k a r o u n d P i a z z a Navona without mentioning how it featured prominently i n l i t e r a t u r e a n d f i l m s , i n c l u d i n g D a n B r o w n ' s Angels & Demons as well as the film adaptation of Joseph Heller's masterpiece, Catch- 22. FRANCESCA BEZZONE The legends and history of Piazza Navona The fountain of Neptune, in Piazza Navona (Photo: Izabela 23/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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