The central fountain of the piazza with its obelisk is the only one designed in its entirety by Bernini. The story of its creation reveals one of art history's greatest rivalries. The rivalry was between Bernini, who designed the fountain, and Borromini who designed the Church of St. Agnes, which faces the fountain. According to the legend, Bernini was so upset he did not get commissioned to do the church that he had two figures of his fountain insult Borromini's work. One of the statues (the one representing the Nile River) covers his face so as to not look at the church, and another (the one representing the River Plate) raises his hands as if to prevent the church from falling on him. Borromini, for his part, has two angels on the top of the fascade of the church both of whom look AWAY from the fountain.
The Danube River, personified on the left, represents Europe, and the Ganges River, on the right, stands for Asia. Very little was known about Asia at the time. Unlike the other three personifications, the Ganges statue has no representative Asian fauna.
The Nile River, shown on the left, with his head draped is Africa. The head is covered because the source of the Nile was unknown in seventeenth century Europe, and it also prevents him from looking at Borromini's church. The figure on the right is a personification of the Plate River and represents the Americas. In his right hand is a bag of gold, symbolizing the riches of the New World. Like the Nile statue beside him, he insults Borromini's work by holding up his left hand as if the church is about to collapse.