When I first visited Rome, Italy, I was humbled by the magnificent art, history, and architecture. You just don’t see that in America.
I was intrigued by the idea of piazzas, and it seemed as though every single one had a massive artistic fountain in the middle. Here are photos I took of some of the many fountains I encountered.
The Trevi Fountain is one of the most iconic symbols of Rome. This stunning piece of work spans the length of a block and features what looks like the facade of a building before turning into jagged rocks with leaping horses. It holds so much light blue water that it looks like it could double as a swimming pool.
Below is a photo of Bernini’s Fontana del Tritone (Fountain of the Triton), which resides in the center of the famous Piazza Barberini.
This fountain in the Piazza della Rotonda sits in front of the Pantheon. It features the soaring ancient Egyptian obelisk that Pope Clement XI placed there in 1700s, topped with a cross–an unusual mix of symbolism.
Below is the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat), which rests at the bottom of the Spanish Steps. A massive beehive had formed at the tip of it!
This is Fontana del Moro (The Moor Fountain), which is located in a corner of Piazza Navona.
This is the Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune). It sits at the opposite end of Piazza Navona from the Fontana del Moro above.
The next two images are of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), also located in Piazza Navona. It was designed by Bernini and built in 1651, and like the fountain at the Pantheon, it features an Egyptian obelisk. You may recognize it from the movie “Angels and Demons.” That’s me in the second picture–it shows how massive it is!
I can’t remember which fountain this is from, but I found it rather ghastly.
This is one of the Quattro Fontane, a series of four fountains at the intersection of Via delle Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale. They were built in the Late Renaissance, and this one is called River Arno.
What is your favorite fountain in Rome?
