Pantheon to Piazza Navona: Route and Stops

Route overview

Distance: ~400 m direct, ~900 m with detours · Time: 5 min direct, about 1 hour with church stops · Surface: cobblestones, flat throughout · Stops: three churches, four Caravaggios, one Raphael fresco, one Borromini courtyard. None of the stops charge admission, but the Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza courtyard is only open on limited days and hours, and the churches close for part of the afternoon — check current times before you set out.

Start: Piazza della Rotonda

Exit the Pantheon and stand with your back to the bronze doors. Cross the square and leave by Via Giustiniani at the north-western corner — narrow, cobbled and lined with restaurants.

Detour 1: San Luigi dei Francesi (20–25 min inside)

About 100 metres along Via Giustiniani, turn right into Via della Dogana Vecchia; the façade of San Luigi dei Francesi, the French national church in Rome, is 50 metres further on.

The Contarelli Chapel, last on the left, holds three Caravaggios: The Calling of Saint Matthew, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew. Entry is free. Carry a couple of coins in case the chapel light box is coin-operated, and expect a small crowd in front of the chapel at peak hours. The church closes for a period in the middle of the day and access is restricted during services — check the official schedule before timing your walk around it.

Detour 2: Sant'Agostino (15 min inside)

Leave San Luigi, continue north and turn left up to the raised square in front of Sant'Agostino. Inside is a fourth Caravaggio, the Madonna dei Pellegrini, in the first chapel on the left — the one with the barefoot Madonna and the kneeling pilgrims with dirty soles. On a pillar in the nave is Raphael's fresco of the Prophet Isaiah. Free entry; this church also closes for part of the afternoon.

Detour 3: Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (10 min, courtyard)

Walk back south to Corso del Rinascimento and look for the arched entrance to the courtyard of the old Sapienza university. Set at the end of it is Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, with Borromini's spiral lantern — the strangest roofline in Baroque Rome. Treat this as a courtyard stop: the interior opens only on limited and irregular occasions, and turning up unannounced usually means a closed door.

Arrival: Piazza Navona

Cross Corso del Rinascimento and take one of the passages through to the square — Corsia Agonale is the most direct. Piazza Navona keeps the long oval outline of the stadium built here by Emperor Domitian in the late first century AD.

• Fountain of the Four Rivers — Bernini's centrepiece of 1651, with river gods for the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Río de la Plata.
• Sant'Agnese in Agone — the church on the western side, its façade largely by Borromini, traditionally marking the site of Saint Agnes's martyrdom.
• Fountain of the Moor at the southern end and Fountain of Neptune at the northern end.

Practical tips

• Church hours rule the route. Both San Luigi dei Francesi and Sant'Agostino close for part of the middle of the day and during services. Mid-morning or late afternoon works best; confirm current hours on the official pages before you set out.
• Carry a couple of coins for chapel light boxes where they are still in use — some chapels are now lit on a timer instead.
• Dress code: covered shoulders and knees in all three churches.
• Photography: personal photos are generally fine, but not during Mass and not with flash near the paintings.
• Eating: the terraces directly on Piazza Navona charge a premium for the view. The side streets toward Campo de' Fiori are better value.

For a full half-day combining these stops with Campo de' Fiori, see our full itinerary.

Sources and further reading

• San Luigi dei Francesi — official visitor and opening information
• Turismo Roma — Basilica di Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio
• Turismo Roma — Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, access and opening information
• Turismo Roma — official city tourism information
• Direzione Musei nazionali della città di Roma (Ministry of Culture) — official Pantheon page: hours, tickets and access

Facts on this page last checked: August 2026. Prices, opening hours and transport routes in Rome change — always confirm with the official source before your visit.

Continue reading about the Pantheon

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to walk from the Pantheon to Piazza Navona?

About five minutes directly, roughly 400 metres. Allow around an hour if you stop inside San Luigi dei Francesi, Sant'Agostino and the courtyard of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza.

What's the best route between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona?

North on Via Giustiniani, right into Via della Dogana Vecchia for San Luigi dei Francesi, on to Sant'Agostino, back down to Corso del Rinascimento for Sant'Ivo, then west into the square through Corsia Agonale.

How many Caravaggios are on this walk?

Four. Three in the Contarelli Chapel at San Luigi dei Francesi and the Madonna dei Pellegrini at Sant'Agostino. All are free to view.

Do I need coins for the Caravaggio lighting?

Carry a couple of euro coins. Chapel light boxes are the usual arrangement in Roman churches and give a short burst of illumination, though some chapels are now lit on a timer or by staff — arrangements change, so coins are a precaution rather than a certainty.

Can you go inside Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza?

Rarely. Interior opening is limited and irregular, so check locally before planning around it. The courtyard view of Borromini's spiral lantern is usually possible whenever the Sapienza gate is open.