Piazza Navona

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"Celebrated by a Rome-based travel writer as unmatched and undeniably dreamy, this holiday market sits above an ancient Roman stadium and is framed by centuries-old architecture. The piazza fills with the warm scent of roasting chestnuts and is animated by numerous stalls, food trucks, and a nostalgic carousel, creating a whimsical, festive atmosphere ideal for sipping mulled wine and browsing seasonal souvenirs." - Asia London Palomba Asia London Palomba Asia London Palomba is a trilingual Italian writer from Rome, currently based in Boston. As a writer, Asia focuses on food, travel, and history, and has covered everything from the best travel products to bring on a trip India to medieval judicial duels. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

"Even with Segway tours rolling through and street performers loudly competing for audiences, the 15th-century Piazza Navona somehow retains a shred of grace and elegance in modern Rome. Calm Renaissance palazzi face the piazza’s centerpiece, the famous and complicated Bernini work, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (“Are these colossal male depictions of the four great rivers of the world writhing on top of a boulder not fancy enough? Let’s top it with an obelisk for a little visual interest.”). The piazza itself was created when a 1st-century arena was paved over to create a market square—you can still sense the oval track of the arena in the shape of the opening. Come for a gelato and some excellent people-watching, especially in the evening."

"Even with Segway tours rolling through and street performers loudly competing for audiences, the 15th-century Piazza Navona somehow retains a shred of grace and elegance in modern Rome. Calm Renaissance palazzi face the piazza’s centerpiece, the famous and complicated Bernini work, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (“Are these colossal male depictions of the four great rivers of the world writhing on top of a boulder not fancy enough? Let’s top it with an obelisk for a little visual interest.”). The piazza itself was created when a 1st-century arena was paved over to create a market square—you can still sense the oval track of the arena in the shape of the opening. Come for a gelato and some excellent people-watching, especially in the evening."

"Even with Segway tours rolling through and street performers loudly competing for audiences, the 15th-century Piazza Navona somehow retains a shred of grace and elegance in modern Rome. Calm Renaissance palazzi face the piazza’s centerpiece, the famous and complicated Bernini work, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (“Are these colossal male depictions of the four great rivers of the world writhing on top of a boulder not fancy enough? Let’s top it with an obelisk for a little visual interest.”). The piazza itself was created when a 1st-century arena was paved over to create a market square—you can still sense the oval track of the arena in the shape of the opening. Come for a gelato and some excellent people-watching, especially in the evening."

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"Piazza Navona is the perfect place to sit at an outdoor café and people-watch inside an urban space that began as an ancient Roman circus; don’t miss Bernini’s dramatic Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at the center, and in winter you’ll find the city’s Christmas markets set up here." - Matthew Kepnes