St Agnes at the Track – Piazza Navona, with pen and ink drawings of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

Four Rivers Fountain, horse

Chiesa Sant’Agnese is a small domed church designed by Boromini, a contemporary of Bernini and a rival who never made it to his competitor’s stature.  In my book he had nothing to be ashamed of, he just had a competitor that was outstanding and well connected.  The work he was assigned was smaller in scale but he did a magnificent job of making the interiors zoom in space.  

Chiesa Sant’Agnese is often termed “St. Agnes in Agony’ but this gives an incorrect translation of ‘Agone.”  Agone means ‘games’ and also refers to the stadium built by Diocletian starting in 80 AD, with a circle track.  So perhaps we should say “St Agnes at the Track,”  as irreverent as that may seem.

The church sits on what we now call Piazza Navona, originally called “Circus Agonalis” (circus is a circle, just like Circo Massimo, Circus Maximus).  Apparently the name Agonoalis morphed into Navona.  Aside from the track shape of the plaza and the buildings facing it, the main feature of the plaza is Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers).  

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Seated boxer and other drawings from Rome

The Seated Boxer, at Museo Nazionale Romano.
The Seated Boxer, at Museo Nazionale Romano.
The Seated Boxer, at Museo Nazionale Romano.Famous bronze statue.
Trajans Column from Vittorio Emanuelle
Trajan’s Column from Vittorio Emanuelle, sketch in ink, while waiting for the concert
Teenage girl
Teenage girl , graphite
View From castle San Angelo
View From castle San Angelo, pen, brush and ink, seated along the Tevere

 

Church Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Statue at the church called Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Teen girl at cafe
Teen girl at cafe, pen, brush ink