The four wells

The Four Fountains ( Italian : Le Quattro Fontane ) is a baroque fountain in Rome that was built in 1588 . It consists of four individual marble fountains (Tiber, Juno, Diana and Arno), which are located at the corner of the intersection of Via Quirinale and Via delle Quattro Fontane on the top of the Quirinal hill .

layout

The four fountains were built in 1588 by Domenico Fontana (1543–1607) and Pietro da Cortona (1596–1669) on behalf of Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590). With the marble fountain, the street intersection on the Quirinal Hill, which is striking in urban planning, was to be upgraded. Four deities were chosen as fountain figures, namely the river gods of Arno and Tiber and the goddesses from Roman mythology Diana and Juno . The figures are all shown lying on the ground, but half upright, supported on one arm.

Arno Fountain

The Arno Fountain shows a bearded man, only half clad in a cloth, who is leaning on a lying jug (which serves as a gargoyle ) with his left arm . He is holding a bouquet of flowers in his right hand . A lion's head peeks out from behind him , the back wall is decorated with reeds .

Diana fountain

This fountain shows a woman dressed in a long dress, but with her right breast bare. She supports herself with her right arm on a rock from which water flows (gargoyles). She is holding some figs in her left hand . It is the only one of the four fountains that is not placed in its own niche with a back wall. On the house wall in the background, however, there are stone decorations with plant motifs.

Juno Fountain

The Juno Fountain also shows a woman wearing a flowing dress. She rests her left arm on a lion's head (whose mouth serves as a gargoyle), and her right hand rests on her knee. Above and behind her are a palm tree and lush vines , and next to her is a goose flapping its wings, cackling .

Tiber fountain

Like the Arno Fountain, this fountain shows a bearded man who is only half clad in a cloth and who is also leaning on a lying jug (gargoyle) with his right arm. In his left arm he is holding a cornucopia filled with fruit . A fig tree and lush vines grow above and behind him, and a wolf peeks out from the background .

symbolism

The four fountains make numerous references to the city of Rome and its prosperity. The river god of the Arno initially symbolizes the city of Florence , which was closely allied with Rome in the late 16th century . The lion head shown refers to the city's heraldic animal . The bouquet of flowers refers to the foundation of the city by the Romans as Colonia Florentia (after the goddess of flowers and plant growth). And the reed refers to the fertile, but partly still swampy Arno Valley, in which Florence was founded.

Juno is not only the goddess of marriage , marriage and childbirth , but also the patron of Rome. The lion's head refers to the heraldic animal of Florence and the close ties between the two cities. The goose pictured together with the goddess is the sacred animal of Juno. According to a legend, geese are said to have once warned the city of Rome with their loud chatter of an enemy attack and thus saved it. The grapevines represent a reference to the Tiber fountain.

Diana is not only the goddess of the hunt , but is shown in this fountain in her role as the goddess of fertility . This is not only indicated by the water rising from a rock and the bare breast, but also by the figs. The latter also form a reference to the Tiber fountain.

The Tiber symbolizes Rome lying on its banks and is represented together with the wolf as the city's heraldic animal. According to a legend, a she-wolf is said to have suckled the founder of the city, Romulus , and his brother Remus and saved them from starvation. The cornucopia with the fruits stands for wealth and abundance in the city. The fig tree and the grapevine not only represent the fertility and prosperity of Rome, but also refer to the fountains of Juno and Diana.

Surroundings

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane church

At the intersection of Via Quirinale and Via delle Quattro Fontane at the four fountains, there is also the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane ( English : Saint Charles at the four fountains ). It was built from 1638 to 1677 and is considered one of the main works of the Baroque architect Francesco Borromini (1599–1667).

The entire intersection was laid out by the architect and city planner Domenico Fontana (1543–1607) and is also a work of art in terms of urban planning. The center of the intersection is located on the visual axes of four distinctive buildings in Rome: the three obelisks on Quirinalplatz, on the Spanish Steps and in front of the Santa Maria Maggiore church ( German : Great Saint Mary ) and the city gate of Porta Pia .