Navona Square hosts Isole e Santi until 29 October 2026

An archaeological exhibition at Navona Square (Piazza Navona) in Rome remains open until 29 October 2026. Isole e Santi examines monasteries and sanctuaries of the eastern Adriatic at the École française de Rome, giving visitors a cultural reason to enter one of the city centre's most recognisable urban spaces.

Isole e Santi remains open at Navona Square until 29 October

The exhibition is presented in the École française de Rome's gallery at 62 Piazza Navona. The institute's public information describes Isole e Santi as part of the MONACORALE research programme and identifies the exhibition's subject as monasteries and sanctuaries of the eastern Adriatic, from Saint Jerome to Gregory VII. The exhibition is a reduced and reworked version of a presentation made in Croatia in 2025.

The École française de Rome lists Nikolina Uroda, Morana Cauševic-Bully and Sébastien Bully among the curators. The École exhibition notice confirms that the display is open to the public until 29 October 2026. A separate Rome tourism listing places the exhibition at the same address and gives the closing date.

The exhibition meets Rome's Baroque urban stage

The venue stands beside a square whose present outline follows the perimeter of the Stadium of Domitian. Rome's tourism authority describes the ancient structure as a stadium for athletics and horse racing, with surviving remains below the modern street level and in the area beneath Sant'Agnese in Agone.

Three fountains define the open space. The Fountain of the Moor and the Fountain of Neptune are associated with Giacomo della Porta, while the central Fountain of the Four Rivers was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The square also contains Sant'Agnese in Agone and the former Pamphili palace, placing the exhibition within a concentration of religious, civic and artistic landmarks.

That setting gives the final days of Isole e Santi a specific context. Its focus on eastern Adriatic religious sites is presented not in a detached gallery district but within a Roman square whose architecture and history are themselves tied to churches, pilgrimage and public ceremony.

Why the eastern Adriatic theme fits this Roman venue

The exhibition's title joins islands and saints, while its subtitle identifies monasteries and sanctuaries across the eastern Adriatic. The curatorial team brings together specialists linked to the Museo Archeologico di Spalato, the Université de Franche-Comté and the CNRS, as stated in the École française de Rome notice.

For visitors, the result is a small-scale archaeological stop directly on a major historic square. The exhibition can be combined with the fountains, the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone and the visible traces of the ancient stadium without treating those monuments as part of the exhibition itself.

Visiting Navona Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Isole e Santi is open at the École française de Rome, 62 Piazza Navona, until 29 October 2026.
• The exhibition is presented as open to the public, and the venue is a gallery on the square rather than an underground archaeological section.
• Navona Square is in central Rome and can be reached through the city's historic centre on foot or by local public transport; the address is 62 Piazza Navona.
• The square is paved and open-air, while the exhibition is indoors; the surrounding visit includes fountains, church architecture and uneven historic surfaces.
• Italy's official language is Italian and its national currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Navona Square

When does Isole e Santi take place at Navona Square?

Isole e Santi remains open at the École française de Rome until 29 October 2026.

What is Navona Square?

It is a Roman square whose outline follows the Stadium of Domitian and whose centre contains the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

Where is Navona Square and how do you get there?

It is in central Rome, with the exhibition at 62 Piazza Navona; visitors can reach the area on foot or by local public transport.