Page 58 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

56  INTRODUCING ROME

Exploring Fountains and Obelisks

The popes who restored the ancient Roman aqueducts used to
build fountains to commemorate their deeds of munificence.
As a result, fountains of all sizes and shapes punctuate the
city, drawing grateful crowds on hot summer days. Ancient
obelisks provide powerful reminders of the debt Roman
civilization owed to the Egyptians. Architects have learnt
to incorporate them into Roman piazzas in fascinating ways.

19th-century fountain. In Piazza
Fountains
Barberini is the magnificent
The Trevi Fountain is one of the Bernini creation of 1642–3: the
most famous of all. It is a mostra, Fontana del Tritone with its sea
a monumental fountain built to god blowing through a shell.
mark the end of an aqueduct – More recently, large piazzas
in this case the Acqua Vergine, have been redesigned around
built by Marcus Agrippa in fountains. Valadier’s great design The Pantheon Fountain
19 BC, although the Trevi itself for Piazza del Popolo (1816–20)
was only completed in 1762. has marble lions and fountains east and west sides of the
Other mostre are the Fontana surrounding the central obelisk square. The early 20th century
dell’Acqua Paola, built for Pope plus two more fountains on the saw the opening of the Fontana
Paul V in 1612 on the Janiculum, delle Naiadi (nymphs) in Piazza
and the Moses Fountain, della Repubblica; its earthy
commemorating the opening figures caused great scandal
of the Acqua Felice by Pope at the time. The highly original
Sixtus V in 1587. Fountain of the Amphorae
Almost all Rome’s famous (map 8 D2) was erected in
piazzas have fountains. In Piazza Piazza dell’Emporio during the
San Pietro there is a matching 1920s. The same designer, Pietro
pair of powerful fountains. Lombardi, also created the
Piazza Navona has Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Tiaras
wonderful Baroque Fontana dei (map 3 C3) behind the
Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the colonnade of St. Peter’s.
four rivers) as its main attraction. The city also has a number
The fountain’s four figures each of smaller, and often very
represent one of the principal charming, fountains. At the
rivers of the four continents foot of the Spanish Steps is
then known. To the south of the Fontana della Barcaccia
this is the smaller Fontana (the leaking boat) of 1627; the
del Moro (the Moor), also by Fountain of the four tiaras located Fontana delle Tartarughe
Bernini, showing an Ethiopian behind St. Peter’s (the tortoise fountain) has
struggling with a dolphin.
At the north end, Neptune The Trevi
wrestles with an octopus on a
Fountain
Appropriately for a fountain
resembling a stage set, the
theatrical Trevi has been the
star of many movies set in
Rome, including romantic
movies like Three Coins in a
Fountain and Roman Holiday,
but also La Dolce Vita, Fellini’s
satirical portrait of Rome in
the 1950s. Whatever liberties
Anita Ekberg took then,
paddling in the fountains
of Rome is now forbidden,
however tempting it could
be in the summer heat. Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita (1960)
Fontana dei Cavalli Marini

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