Rome

Book Fountain in Rome

The Fountain of Books (Fontana dei Libri) is an unusual decoration that flaunts on the wall of the city archive of San Ivo alla Sapienza (Archivio di Stato di Roma). A fountain with drinking water, of which there are thousands in Rome, is decorated intricately and originally, and asks for a photograph!

Description

The Book Fountain was built in 1927 by the architect Pietro Lombardi. The architect won a competition for the construction of several fountains, designed to return the old districts of the capital to their historical past. Lombardi gave Rome and Italy several modern artificial ponds: the Fontana delle Anfore fountain in the Testaccio area, the Fontana della Botte Barrels fountain in the Trastevere district and so on. Later, Lombardi will participate in the reconstruction of the Ariccia Bridge (Ponte di Ariccia) and Ciampino Airport (Aeroporto di Roma-Ciampino).

Lombardi knew the history of Rome well, so each of his works, each fountain had a deep hidden context. In the past, Via degli Straderari was called Universitetskaya because the archive building housed an educational institution - the University of Wisdom (Università della Sapienza). That is why book volumes are used as large elements of fountain decor. Drinking water flows from bookmarks and covers of stone tomes.

Just below the books is the reindeer head, a long-standing symbol of the Sant'Eustachio area., in which the fountain is located. The nearby palace of the fountain of Madama's palace (palazzo Madama), once the residence of the Medici family, which also found its reflection in the decor of the fountain. Five large pearls, located at the head of the sculptural group, symbolize the power and influence of the Medici house.

The whole composition is limited by an arch, on which the motto "SPQR" ("Senatus Populusque Romanus") is carved. The motto of the times of the Roman Empire, which states: "The Senate and the citizens of Rome" - is one of the permanent attributes of the eternal city.

  • Interesting fact: over the head of a deer, the Sant Eustacio district number is carved. However, instead of the actual number "VIII", the number "IV" is indicated.

How to get there

  • Address: Via degli staderari
  • Get on the bus: No. 30, 70, 81, 87, 492, 628, N6, N7 to the Senato stop. Then walk south along Corso del Rinascimento to the junction with Via degli Straderari. Or take the same bus numbers to the Corso Rinascimento stop and head along Corso Rinascimento heading north to the junction with Via degli Straderari.
  • Attractions nearby: Piazza Navona (piazza Navona), Palazzo Madama, Pantheon (Pantheon).

Watch the video: Marta's Road Book #5 : ROME the fountains - my American friend (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Rome, Next Article

Palermo Cathedral
Palermo

Palermo Cathedral

The cathedral, called the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Cattedrale di Palermo or Cattedrale Metropolitana della Santa Vergine Maria Assunta) is a unique building of the Middle Ages. It stands out among other complexes with beauty, a mixture of styles of different times and religions. Outside and inside, the cathedral is a real work of art, which was worked by Arab, Spanish, German architects, sculptors and artists.
Read More
Monster Villa in Bagheria
Palermo

Monster Villa in Bagheria

The Italian town of Bagheria (Bagheria), where representatives of the nobility from Palermo often used to gather, keeps an amazing secret. In the center of Bagheria, surrounded by a stream of cars and facades of modern buildings, lies the villa Palagonia, which Goethe once called the "madhouse".
Read More
The most beautiful churches in Palermo
Palermo

The most beautiful churches in Palermo

Palermo - the oldest port of the Mediterranean Sea on the island of Sicily, from the time it was founded, different peoples have conquered it more than once. Each ethnos brought its cultural and religious features to the city. Today, 295 parishes operate in Palermo, of which the following churches are most popular with tourists: the Cathedral, La Martorana, the Palatine Chapel, San Caldo.
Read More
Palatine Chapel in Palermo
Palermo

Palatine Chapel in Palermo

The Palatine Chapel (Capella Palatina) is one of the oldest chapels of Palermo, a landmark monument of the Arab-Norman style in architecture. It was built as the house church of the Norman Palace (Palazzo dei Normanni) in Palermo and served as a place of prayer for the Sicilian kings, and later the vice-kings.
Read More