Fountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere | |
|---|---|
| Fountain | |
 Fountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere | |
| Design | Donato Bramante |
| Location | Piazza Santa Maria,Rome,Italy |
 Interactive map of Fountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere | |
| Coordinates:41°54′11.1″N12°28′28.65″E / 41.903083°N 12.4746250°E /41.903083; 12.4746250 | |
TheFountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is a fountain located in the square in front of the church ofSanta Maria in Trastevere,Rome, Italy. It is believed to be the oldest fountain in Rome, dating back, according to some sources, to the 8th century. The present fountain is the work ofDonato Bramante, with later additions byGian Lorenzo Bernini andCarlo Fontana.[1]
A fountain is believed to have stood in this square since the 8th century, but the exact date it was built is unknown.[2] A drawing of the fountain appears on the map of Rome made by Pietro del Massaio in 1471, along with a description of the legend of the fountain's origin. According to the legend, which appears in theChronicle ofEusebius, translated and finished bySaint Jerome in the fifth century, on the night of the birth of Christ a fountain of oil appeared miraculously in front of the church, which as a result was given the name "Santa Maria in fontibus." The original fountain was supplied with water by a Roman aqueduct, theAqua Traiana. When the aqueduct was ruined during the invasions of Rome, water came from underground sources below theJaniculum hill. The old fountain illustrated in the drawing of del Massaio had two vasques, one above the other, pouring water into the basin below.[3]
The fountain was reconstructed between 1499 and 1500 on the command of Giovanni Lopez, the bishop of Perouse and Bishop of the parish ofSanta Maria in Trastevere, who gave the commission toDonato Bramante, the architect ofSt. Peter's Basilica. Bramante removed the upper vasque and added four carved stone wolf heads, the emblem of the Lopez family.[4] It became the model for many other fountains in Rome.[5]
The fountain was reconstructed again in 1604 by the architect Girolamo Rainaldi, the father ofCarlo Rainaldi, the architect of the two churches ofPiazza del Popolo. At that time the fountain was connected to the newly restoredAcqua Felice aqueduct. In 1659 the fountain was connected to theAcqua Paola aqueduct and remodeled again byBernini. Bernini replaced the octagonal basin, moved the fountain from its original place in front of the church to a new location in the center of the square, and added four sculpted seashells around the basin. At the end of the 17th century, the architectCarlo Fontana replaced Bernini's seashells with his own sculpted seashells facing inward.[4]
The fountain was completely rebuilt in 1873, following the design of Bernini and Fontana, but using less expensive materials. In that occasion, the main pool was rebuilt with bardiglio marble and an imposing S.P.Q.R. sign has been placed on the external side of the shells.[4]It was rebuilt once again in 1930. The last maintenance has been made in 1984.
While the piazza may be fairly quiet during the day, in the evening people gather around the fountain, sitting on the steps.
Media related toFountain of Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Fontana di Piazza Nicosia | Landmarks of Rome Fountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere | Succeeded by Fontanone di Ponte Sisto |