If you go to Piazza Navona you will be obviously amazed by the XVII century Doria-Pamphilj Palace, where today stands the flag of Brazil, or even by the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone by Borromini, with its incredible dome. You will also be surprised and amazed by the different experiences that you can enjoy, like a fantastic cooking class in some restauratns facing the square (I suggest you to try Eat and Walk Italy, that provides in a very good way cooking classes). Then, of course, your eyes will focus straight ahead on the large central fountain with the obelisk which was designed by Bernini. But there is other elements that may attract your attention, such as the so-called Fountain of Neptune. Let's discover together the secrets of this unknown fountain that will amaze you. 

The Fountain of Neptune is located to the right, compared to the Fountain of the Four Rivers, and is one of the three that over the centuries adorn the entire square. On a mixtilinear base, then with curved and straight elements that use to interchange themselves, we have at the centre a group of sculptures representative of Neptune fighting a sea monster. All around him there is a sort of procession composed by marine creatures, such as these cute and sensual mermaids riding sea animals. A beautiful fountain, of course! Imagine how its history begins at the end of the XVI century, when Pope Gregory XIII, in the context of its redevelopment of Rome, mainly focused on the water and the aqueducts. The main projects were commissioned to his trusted architect, Giacomo della Porta, who designed  the two fountains placed on the end of the square (the main one by Bernini was added later). They had to be practically twins, and the first to be completed was the so-called Fountain of the Moor, the one in front of Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj. For the decoration of that and then, later, will be called "Fountain of Neptune" they thought instead of removing the four newts that had, originally, beautify another fountain, the Piazza del Popolo. The work, for a variety of reasons, were very slow until the 1651, when Pope Innocent X Pamphili, in the context of the redevelopment of the entire area, entrusted to Bernini a variety of projects for the embellishment of the square. Why just this area? Because, as you may have guessed, it was pope Innocent X commissioned works for the Doria-Pamphilj Palace, which was supposed to be a private building and representation for himself and his rich family. Obviously, then, the pope extended his influence to the whole square, which certainly could not disfigure the face of the magnificence of the palace! He started to consider the Piazza Navona as a sort of private courtyard, which had to be modernized according to the style more attractive and innovative for the time. And that's why the Pope entrusted just to Bernini.

The genius of the Baroque changed both fountains pre-existing, then adding the most famous, the Fountain of the Four Rivers in the center of the square. There was, however, a problem: the Bernini focused, initially, on the fountain in front of Doria-Pamphilj Palace, the one now called "del Moro", since it is in a privileged location, opposite the residence of the pontiff. For this reason, the Fountain of Neptune, on the contrary, was practically forgotten! Imagine that only in 1873, when the city of Rome was the Capital of the Kingdom of Italy, the Fountain of Neptune was completed following the same decorative style of the Fontana del Moro. It is incredible to understand how just 150 years ago, more or less, the Fountain of Neptune saw the light, revealing a new beautiful element that is able to make the Navona Square one of the most impressive squares in the world!