🏛️ Piazza Navona: Bernini fountain, four rivers and Agonale obelisk

The Fountain of the Four Rivers stands in the center of Piazza Navona. Pope Innocent X commissioned it for his family, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini built it. Construction took three years and was completed in 1651 (as of 09/2026, according to the Italian encyclopedia).

Four marble figures represent the largest rivers of the world known at the time. A travertine rock, the Agonale obelisk, and seven animals turn the fountain into a small stage. This is also where the legend of the rivalry between Bernini and Francesco Borromini was born.

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The Fountain of the Four Rivers: key visit information

💡 In short:

The fountain is on Piazza Navona, right next to the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone.
The project was designed by Bernini, and the figures personify the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube, and the Río de la Plata (as of 09/2026, fountain description).
You don't need a ticket. The square is open around the clock and free of charge.
Prices and opening hours: 09/14/2026, verified on the church's official website.

The story of the commission and Bernini's arrival

The commission came from Pope Innocent X of the Pamphili family. He was rebuilding Piazza Navona as a ceremonial courtyard in front of his Palazzo Pamphili. In 1647 the pontiff tasked Francesco Borromini with bringing water to the square from the Aqua Virgo aqueduct (as of 09/2026, history of Piazza Navona). At the same time, he announced a competition for the fountain design and wanted to bring back the obelisk from the Circus of Maxentius on the Appian Way.

Sculptures of the Fountain of the Four Rivers: river god and lion

Bernini also took part in the competition. The pope did not want to see him for a long time: the architect had been supported by the previous pontiff, Urban VIII. So Bernini resorted to a trick. He made a silver model of the fountain about one and a half meters high and gave it as a gift to Olimpia Maidalchini, the pope's sister-in-law and the most influential woman in Rome (as of 09/2026, account of the commission).

The model was well received. Bernini got the commission, although Borromini had his own project. He proposed an obelisk on four shells with masks from which water would flow. Construction began in 1648 (as of 09/2026, construction chronicle).

The work was completed in 1651. Giacomo Antonio Fancelli, Claude Poussin, Antonio Raggi, and Francesco Baratta worked alongside Bernini (as of 09/2026, list of sculptors). The travertine rock was carved by Giovan Maria Franchi.

The construction was very expensive. To pay for it, the pope introduced a tax on bread and reduced the weight of a standard loaf. The Romans came to hate not so much the pontiff as Olimpia Maidalchini (as of 09/2026, data on the bread tax).

What the four rivers represent

The fountain depicts four rivers, one for each continent known at the time. Australia remained unknown land in 17th-century Europe, so it is absent from the composition (as of 09/2026, Bernini's four rivers).

The figure of the Nile covers its face with cloth. This was the sculptor's way of showing that the source of the African river had not yet been found. A lion sits beside the Nile, and a palm tree rises above it.

Statue of a river god on the Fountain of the Four Rivers

The Ganges holds a long oar. The river was navigable, and this is emphasized in the figure. A dragon coils around the oar.

The Danube points at one of the two Pamphili coats of arms. This was the artist's reminder of the pope's power over the whole world. At the feet of the European river, a horse emerges from the rock.

The Rio de la Plata leans on a sack of silver coins. The metal hints at the color of the water and at the riches of South America. Cacti and a crocodile lie nearby.

Walking around the fountain changes the picture. With each step you discover a new detail: an animal's muzzle, a plant leaf. Bernini deliberately hid some of the sculptures behind the rock.

Seven animals and the Agonale obelisk

The fountain features seven animals, a bronze dove at the top, and dolphins in the Pamphili coats of arms. Among them are a horse, a lion, a dragon, snakes, and a crocodile. All of them are connected to the rivers and continents (as of 09/2026, animals of the fountain).

Fountain of the Four Rivers at night in Piazza Navona

The rock is crowned by the Agonale obelisk. It was found in 1647 in the Circus of Maxentius. It is a Roman obelisk, made during the reign of Domitian. The monolith was quarried in Aswan, and the hieroglyphs were added later in Rome (as of 09/2026, history of the Agonale obelisk).

Bernini placed the monolith not on a solid support but on a hollow structure. The obelisk rests only on the corners of its base, leaving a gap between it and the rock. The architect had already tested this technique earlier (as of 09/2026, support structure).

Legends about Borromini and what is actually true

Bernini and Borromini were rivals, and popular rumor tied the fountain to this feud. According to legend, the Rio de la Plata raises its hand to shield itself from the falling church. Another figure supposedly turns away from the church, and the Nile covers its eyes with a cloth.

The truth is that this is a later invention. The church of Sant'Agnese in Agone was completed after the fountain. The statues do not look in the directions the legend claims (as of 09/2026, debunking the legend).

There is a second story as well. Supposedly Bernini made a mistake in his calculations, and the water would not flow. Borromini waited for his rival to fail. Bernini was saved thanks to a servant girl who stole her master's drawings. There is no evidence for this tale. Treat it as an urban anecdote.

How to get there and when to go

Piazza Navona lies in the pedestrian zone of the historic center. You cannot drive up to the fountain. You can, however, walk there from the Pantheon or from Corso del Rinascimento.

The nearest metro stations on line A are Barberini and Spagna. From there you walk through the center. Buses stop along Corso del Rinascimento and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

The fountain is open around the clock, and you do not need a ticket. The nearby church operates on a schedule, and it is best to check the hours in advance.

Site	Hours	Closed
Fountain of the Four Rivers and the square	24 hours	none
Sant'Agnese in Agone	9:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00, Sat-Sun until 20:00 (as of 09/2026, source)	Monday

The catch: in the middle of the day there are many people around the rock, and the crowd ends up in your photos. Come early in the morning or after sunset. Then you will have an unobstructed view.

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Fountain of the Four Rivers on the map

Piazza Navona sits between the Pantheon and the Tiber. On the map you will mark two landmarks. From the north the square approaches Corso del Rinascimento, from the south Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Who built the Fountain of the Four Rivers and when?

The project was done by Gian Lorenzo Bernini on commission from Pope Innocent X (as of 09/2026, about the fountain's builders). For construction dates and the names of the sculptors, see the section "History of the commission and Bernini's arrival."

How much does admission cost and when is the fountain open?

Admission is free, you do not need a ticket. For the opening hours of the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, see the table in the section "How to get there and when to go" (as of 09/2026, official website of Sant'Agnese in Agone).

How do I get to Piazza Navona?

The square is pedestrian-only, so the last stretch you cover on foot. Metro stations and bus stops are described in the section "How to get there and when to go."

What do the four statues symbolize?

The figures depict the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube, and the Río de la Plata. This is how Bernini represented the four continents known at the time. The Nile covers its face because the river's source had not yet been found, and the Río de la Plata leans on a bag of coins (as of 09/2026, symbolism of the figures).

Is it true that the statues are laughing at Borromini's church?

That is a legend, not a fact (as of 09/2026, legend and facts). For why historians reject it, read the section "Legends about Borromini and what is true here."

In short: what is worth booking

The Fountain of the Four Rivers is free, and no ticket is needed here. What is worth booking is something else: tours and tickets to nearby Rome attractions. Choose according to your pace.

If you have an hour: see the fountain, step into the church, and have a coffee on the square.
If you have half a day: add the Pantheon and a walk through the historic center.

For guided tours of Piazza Navona and central Rome, look on GetYourGuide.

Fountain of the four rivers in Piazza Navona: symbolism of each statue