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Sant'Agnese in Agone Review

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Sant'Agnese in Agone

Address: Piazza Navona, Navona, Rome | Map It
Phone: 06/68192134

Category: Religious Sites
Location: Navona and Campo

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Fodor's Review:

The absolute quintessence of Baroque architecture, this church has a facade that remains a wonderfully rich melange of bell towers, concave spaces, and dovetailed stone and marble, the creation of Francesco Borromini (1599-1667), a contemporary and rival of Bernini. Built by the regal Doria-Pamphili family and the family pope, Innocent X, the church bears a name that comes from agona, the source of the word navona and a corruption of the Latin agonalis, describing the type of games held there in Roman times. The saint associated with the church is Agnes, who was martyred here in the piazza's forerunner, the Stadium of Domitian. As she was stripped nude before the crowd, hair miraculously grew to maintain her modesty before she was killed. The interior is a marvel of modular Barqoue space and is ornamented by giant marble reliefs sculpted by Raggi and Ferrata.