Piața Ovidiu is the heart of the old town and the natural starting point for any walk in Constanța. The bronze statue of Ovid in the centre — pensive, swathed in his toga, looking south toward Rome — was erected in 1887 and gave the square its name. The poet was exiled here by Augustus in AD 8 and spent the last decade of his life writing the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto, all variations on the theme of how cold and barbaric he found the place.
The square is flanked by the History and Archaeology Museum on the south side, the imposing Grand Mosque down a side street to the south-east, and a row of cafés and restaurants along the north and east edges. It is at its best on summer evenings, when the cafés open onto the square and street musicians play under the statue.