Piazza Navona occupies the exact footprint of Emperor Domitian's stadium from 86 AD, and you can still trace the shape of the ancient racetrack in this elongated baroque square. The surrounding buildings rest on the original spectators' steps, while the piazza floor sits where 30,000 Romans once watched athletic contests.

The square was paved in 1485 and transformed into a baroque showpiece. At its heart, Bernini's 1651 Fountain of the Four Rivers features river gods from four continents, crowned by an ancient Roman obelisk carved to look Egyptian. Two other fountains anchor the piazza's ends: the Fountain of the Moor to the south and Neptune's fountain to the north. Borromini's Sant'Agnese church faces Bernini's central fountain, embodying the artistic rivalry that defined baroque Rome. The imposing Palazzo Braschi, now Rome's city museum, dominates the western side.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours reveal how this Roman stadium evolved into a baroque theatre, tracing the architectural layers from ancient athletics to papal power plays and the feuds between rival architects.