The Piazza Navona is a very popular area for families to visit, especially if you are travelling with children as there are several toy stores in this area. You will be able to find all sorts of toys from stuffed animals to miniature Italian sports cars and unique wind up toys. The kids will surely appreciate coming home to your Rome holiday rental and playing with their new toys! 1. Al Sogno (Piazza Navona, 53) – The name Al Sogno literally means “In a Dream” and this cosy little store definitely lives up to its name. Although the store is a bit small, people seldom notice this because of the large number of interesting toys that line its shelves. 2. Città del Sole (Via Della Scrofa, 65) – This shop is one of the most popular toy stores in all of Rome and is known to sell both toys and children’s books. Città del Sole’s extensive selection of European toys is sure to be particularly appealing to young children; the store is also popular with older children and even adults, as it has a good collection of puzzles, gadgets, games and educational toys. 3. Bertè (Piazza Navona 108) – ...

The Piazza Navona is considered by many to be the most wonderful of all of Rome’s piazzas. There are three incredible fountains complemented by the baroque Church of Sant'Agnese. The piazza was once a Roman sporting stadium called Circus Agonalis and bits of the original stadium which was paved over in the fifteenth century can still be seen. Within a short walk of Piazza Navona apartment there are some magical sights: • The Pantheon was built over eighteen hundred years ago and is a classic reminder of the might of Rome. The dome is over forty-three metres high and was the largest dome in the world until the 15th century when the cathedral in Florence was built. The Pantheon has 3 rows of columns and a bronze door that enters into the cylindrical-shaped building. • Piazza Campo de' Fiori translates as field of flowers because it was once a meadow that used to flood regularly. In the 15th century, the piazza was developed and the first construction was the Church of Santa Brigida. There was no uniform architectural style for Piazza Campo de' Fiori so the buildings are varied and individual. For the last 140 years, the piazza has held a fish ...

The beautiful Piazza Navona, with its fountains by Bernini, takes its oval shape for a very good reason: underneath it lies the remains of the Stadium of Domitian. The buildings that line the piazza are build over the Stadium's original seating arrangements. Wandering this peaceful piazza it is hard to imagine that 2000 years ago a crowd of 30,000 Romans were here, cheering loudly at extremely cruel "games". The Stadium was built in 86BC by emperor Domitian and some of its remnants can be admired north of the square. Also known as the Circus Agonalis (Agone being the origin "agony" ) over time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'. The obelisk that is now part of the quattro fiumi fountain, has always been here (although it broke into 5 pieces during the 6th Century and was repaired)- it is called the obelisk of Domitian and has hieroglyphs related to the cult of Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis. Holiday Velvet offers unique Rome vacation rentals and Navona holiday apartments