A baroque masterpiece
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is a baroque masterpiece located just in front of the Sant'Agnese in Agone in Piazza Navona in central Rome. The fountain represents the four major rivers of the world at the time: the Danube in Europe, the Nile in Africa, the Rio de la Plata in the Americas, and the Ganges in Asia. The master behind this splendid work of art was Bernini, but each of the rivers was actually sculpted by different artists from the time. Poussin, for example, made the figure of the Ganges. The work was commissioned by Pope Innocent X.
In the center of the fountain there is an obelisk topped with a dove and olive branch. This symbolized the Pope's family which had a palace in Piazza Navona. There's a story that says that Bernini and Borromini (architect of Sant'Agnese in Agone) were enemies so the figures of the fountain seem to have a disgusted look toward the church.
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![](https://images.mnstatic.com/e2/f8/e2f85f7c259731acde82c81d413a394f.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/09/ba/09baf20463ee5d94dd780de8ff069ade.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)