Angels & Demons' Rome: Piazza Navona

(Well, let's see if I can recreate the article that mysteriously disappeared just as I was finishing it. Maybe next time I'll remember to save it as I go...)

So far, Langdon and Vittoria have successfully deciphered the clues that led them along the Path of Illumination. Unfortunately, they have not been able to save the first three cardinals who were so cruelly branded and murdered.

Their luck changes when they arrive at the next spot, the Piazza Navona, in time to retrieve Cardinal Baggio from Bernini's magnificent Fontana dei Quattro Fuimi (Fountain of the Four Rivers).

The huge oval-shaped Piazza Navona has been a center of Roman life for millennia. During the Roman Empire it held a stadium where athletic contests and horse races were run. The name "Navona" is believed to come from a corruption of the Latin word agones (games).

Like many of the structures of the Empire, the stadium eventually fell into ruins. But the site still functioned at various times as a major city market (later transferred to the Campo Fiori), and as a place for theatricals and festivals. 

The Piazza was rebuilt during the reconstruction of Rome carried out by the popes of the 16th and 17th centuries. Bernini's Fountains of the Four Rivers occupies the center of the piazza (he also designed the Fountain of the Moor at the southern end).  It was unveiled with great pomp and cermony in 1652.

The statues on the fountain depict four continents:

• the horse: Europe
• the palm tree and snake: Asia
• the lion: Africa
• the armadillo: the Americas

Each also has a river god representing a great river on each of the continents: the Danube, the  Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de la Plate. All have allegorical meanings.

The Nile's god (shown on the right) is veiled as a sign that the source of the river was unknown. The Ganges' god carries an oar to signify its navigability. The Rio de la Plate figure sits on a pile of coins representing the riches of the New World (Plate comes from the Spanish "plata" for silver).  And, the god of the Danube touches the Papal coat of arms since the Danube was the closest of the rivers to Rome.

There's a legend that tour guides are fond of that the reason all the gods face away from the church of Sant'Agnese, built by Bernini's arch-rival Borromini, is to show the sculptor's disdain for the church's facade. A good story, but it can't be true. The church was not even commissioned until a year after the fountain was installed.

All the river gods recline in a semi-prostrate position, gazing up at the tall obelisk in the fountain's center topped by symbols of the Papacy and its power, most notably the dove of Pope Innnocent X.

Langdon realizes that this lone dove is also the pagan symbol for the Angel of Peace, the final guide for his quest.

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is a must-see sight is Rome. It's especially beautiful all lit up at night with wildly splashing water crashing down on the rough marble under the statues.

But, if you want the good luck and guarantee of returning to Rome, don't toss coins in this fountain. For that, you'll have to go to see the Trevi Fountain in the Piazza di Trevi.

I'm planning on doing one last article about the Castel Sant'Angelo to conclude this series on Angels & Demons. Hopefully, I'll remember to save as I write next time!