Pizza MAMI is in the heart of Rome, a few steps away from the historical Piazza Navona and the Chiostro del Bramante. It takes time and attention to let these monumental beauties sink into you, so a tasty take away pizza can be a great way to quench the thirst of your eyes and gusto.
We will walk you through this fantastic area, rich with artistic and historical views, hinting at the origins of the monuments that you can encounter while on your way to our pizzeria.
Obviously, we won’t waste your time: while you’re tasting our take away pizza you can keep marvelling at our wonderful city’s monumental and architectural treasures while you walk.
Located in the Rione Parione and being the baroque square of the city, Piazza Navona has its roots deep in ancient Rome. Around 86 BC, it was in fact the venue for athletic games and chariot races: the Stato di Domiziano.
Today’s look dates back to the middle of the 17th century, when pope Innocent X decided to renovate the piazza. He commissioned Palazzo Pamphilij, today hosting the Brazilian embassy, and commissioned to the Borromini the building of the Sant’Agnese in Agone Church.
The three fountains of the piazza are unique: the “Fountain of the Four Rivers”, set in the center and in front of the Sant’Agnese in Agone Church. In the south of the piazza you can find the “Fountain of the Moro” and north the “Fountain of Neptune”.
The most suggestive and majestic of the three is the central one, made by Bernini, which includes 4 statues symbolizing the rivers Nile, Danube, Ganges and Rio de la Plata (considered to be the most important rivers of the time) that surround an Egyptian obelisk set in the middle.
Sitting on one of the benches and admiring the Fountain, while eating our sliced pizza or one of our fried foods (supplì, arancini, croquettes, zucchini flowers, cod fillets, artichokes and zucchini) is somethiing you don’t want to miss out! For example, you can rest your gaze upon the evocative pose of the statue symbolising the Rio de la Plata, with its frightened look and his left hand covering it as if to shield itself from the possible collapse of the Sant’Agnese in Agone Church.
The “Fountain of the Moro”, in which you can see tritons, masques and dolphins, was built in the second half of the 16th century based on the project of Giacomo della Porta. In the middle of the 17th century, under commission of Pope Innocent, the Moro sculpture was added in the middle, designed by Bernini and sculpted by one of his pupils, Giovanni Antonio Mari.
In the 1870s the original sculptures, renovated many times, were moved to the Museo Canonica of Villa Borghese warehouse and substituted with copies made by Luigi Amici. The sculptures added to the “Fountain of Neptune” belong to the same decade, that was lacking its original project by Giacomo della Porta, and contemporary to the “Fountain of the Moro”.
Not very far from Piazza Navona (and in front of Pizza MAMI) you can find the evocative monumental complex of the Chiostro del Bramante, designed in 1500 by Renaissance painter and architect Donato Bramante. The Santa Maria della Pace Church, adjacent to the Chiostro, belongs to the complex, where you can marvel at the massive fresco “Sybils receiving instructions by Angels” by Raffaello.
After its 1997 renovation, the halls on the ground floor and first floor, circling the courtyard and colonnade (originally meant for monastery activities), have been used as exhibition halls hosting international shows. You can see concerts, attend educational activities and cultural events in this complex.
The Chiostro del Bramante is a marvellous place where you can breathe art and culture, being a social and meeting spot.
If during your cultural walks you start feeling hungry, the spots where you can grab some food are many: piazza Navona is swarming with restaurants and cafes. However, if you wish to eat a tasty pizza with high quality ingredients and other sophisticated and yummy treats (such as calzone, tasty mini parcels, bites, flutes, mini parmigianas, delicious stuffed focaccias and much more), you can find MAMI a few steps away from these splendid landmarks! Come and see us in via della Pace 27/a.
The PIZZA MAMI map
