This evening the group headed out to the Piazza Navona. Here you can see the lads standing in front of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), sculpted by our friend Bernini (same one who did the Fountain of the Ugly Boat). Bernini included the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges and the Rio de la Plata, representing the extent of Catholicism in the world of his day. The fountain was designed in 1651 for Pope Innocent X.
In ancient Roman times, Piazza Navona was known as Domitian's Circus. The emperor Domitian (son of Vespasian and brother of Titus, who were both good emperors) was such a bad emperor the Senate decreed a Damnatio Memoriae where all references to Domitian were erased from public view. This racetrack was not for horses, but people. Athletic contests similar to the Olympics were held here, as well as gladitorial combats. The people of Rome still called it Domitian's Circus, but the official name was the Circus Agonalis. The Agonalia was a festival dedicated to the Roman god Janus.
After our brief visit to Piazza Navona, the group separated. Mr. Spearman took the seniors out to dinner, while the rest of the group went with Ms. Thorner and our guide Richard Bowen.
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