​Benincampi a piazza navona 

Piazza Navona (Circo Agonale) is built on the ancient Domiziano Stadium that was built by Domiziano in the year 86 A.D. and restored in the 4th century by Alessandro Severo. The name of the square was originally "in agone" (in greek play, race) since the stadium was only used for the athletic games and races. From there on was first pronounced nagone then navone and finally mutating in navona. The other interpretation is from the word nave (the ship) due to the shape of the square.There was a tradition from the 17th to the 19th century to flood the square with water in the hot summer months to host a parade of the equipment of the prelates and princes.

The square is a masterpiece of two of the greatest artists of the Baroque period: Borromini (St. Agnes in Agone church) and Bernini (Fontana dei Fiumi). There are three magnificent fountains: Fontana dei Fiumi was made as base for the Egyptian obelisk, moved there from Circo di Massenzio. The obelisk is based on the cliff populated by the symbolic animals; there are four statues that personify Nile, Gange, Danube and river Plate representing the continents. The two fountains on the north and the south of the square are designed by Giacomo Della Porta from 1571 to 1576 before the Bernini fountain was built in 1651. The south one had the Triton statues and masks that were moved to Villa Borghese and replaced by the replicas. Eighty years on, Borromini drew  the statue of Etiope that gave the name to the Fontana del Moro.On the north side of the square there is Calderrari fountain (The Neptune fountain) so called because nearby there were a lot of artisans that worked the copper.It lacks some of its original parts that have been replaced by the copies in the 19th century. The Church of St.Agnes was built from 8th century to 1123 and is situated in the middle of the Pamphilli block - a very long and monumental building wanted by Innocenzo X and built by Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi towards the mid 17th century. The twin bell towers were designed by Borromini and built by Antonio del Grande and G.M. Barratta. The church was built on the site where (according o tradition) Virgin Agnes was undressed before her martyrdom and wrapped in her own hair that grew miraculously. In the basement there are traces of the primitive church and of the ancient Domizian stadium, the Roman mosaic floor and medieval frescoes. On the altar there is statue "MIracle of St Agnes hair" by Alessandro Algradi (1653). The less mentioned and known church is Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (previously the church of San Giacomo of the Spaniards or Santiago Idelfonso in Circo Agonale or in Agonis) that was the National church of the Castilian. It was probably established in 1450 during the pontificate of Callisto the third Borgia (1455-1458) by the bishop Alfonso Paradinas (died in 1485) whose name is on the marble portal. The facade was on the old Via Sapienza (corso Rinascimento) and the apse on Piazza Navona. The portal built by Paradinas represents one of the first and the purest expressions of the Florentine Renaissance style in Rome.Both architecture and decoration were damaged by the aging of the building: in the 8th century the decline of Spain impended the maintenance of this church. In 1879 it was given to the French priests that had it restored by the architect Luca Carmini. He made the neo-Gothic vault and remade the facade inverting the two portals. In 1881the church was reconsecrated with the present nave.The internal frescoes are by Poletti. The further damage was done by opening of Corso Rinascimento in 1930. It was necessary to shorten the nave eliminating the first aisles. The new facade was then created inserted in the prospectus of the convent type, with the superior lodge by Arnaldo Foschini.