Trevi Fountain - Spanish Square. Rome. The Triton Fountain in Rome - the grandiose creation of Bernini

The Triton Fountain is one of the most famous fountains in Rome and always attracts the attention of both numerous tourists and the citizens themselves. We must pay tribute to the Roman authorities, because despite the fact that the media heard the fact of the possible bankruptcy of the city, he had enough funds and the desire to bring the fountain into a more attractive form. But it's all right...

After the construction of the palace intended for the Barberini family was completed, Pope Urban VIII Barberini commissioned Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini to design a decorative fountain for the square located next to the palace. Bernini's creative potential allowed him to get away from the then classical norms and stereotypes and, instead of standard bowls, he introduced unusual project fountain with a sculpture of the sea deity Triton. This project was accepted without a doubt, and at the end of 1642 its implementation began.

And somewhere in the first half of the next year, the Romans saw an impressive and new fountain for their eyes, where the son of the sea god Poseidon Triton blew out of the shell such a powerful and high jet of water that subsequently the fountain was called "roaring Triton" because of its noise. .

Square with a fountain engraved by Giuseppe Vasi. The monumental building on the left is the Palazzo Barberini.

Without a doubt, one can believe this only by looking at an old engraving, where the fountain functions in full force. Today, such an impressive work of the fountain can hardly be seen...

But we can assume that inspired Bernini to create this image - "Metamorphoses" by the ancient Roman poet Ovid, whose work, no doubt, every enlightened inhabitant of the then Rome knew and read.

"The anger of the sea was short-lived; having laid down a weapon about three teeth,

The lord of the sea pacifies the waters and rises above

Blue waves are calling Triton, whose shoulders are old

In scarlet shells, and orders to blow into the sea pipe:

By this he gives a sign to withdraw both streams and waves.

He chose from the shells that empty pipe curled,

What expands upward from the bottom is twisted; If

In the sea, fill such a pipe in the open with breath,

And as soon as the deity touched the pipe with moistened beard,

Only loudly she played the lights out on orders,

Everyone heard her streams, - earthly, sea, -

Having heard the terrible order, the streams all obeyed her.

Bernini imagined Triton sitting on a huge open shell, which is carried over the waves of the sea by ferocious dolphins.

Leaning a horn-shell to his mouth with powerful hands, Triton blows loudly into it, calming the raging elements. In fact, the sculpture is symbolic for Rome, because floods often occurred here, turning the streets of the city into raging rivers. Maybe this mythological hero was supposed to prevent Rome from such a misfortune ?!

Any newly built architectural structure of that time, of course, should have been indicated by the name of its founder or owner. So this fountain did not escape a similar fate - between two dolphins in front of the fountain you can see papal attributes and a coat of arms with bees that indicate the name of the benefactor - Pope Urban VIII Barberini.

In the autumn of 2012, large-scale restoration work began, which lasted whole year. The 240,175 euros allocated for this turned out to be well spent, and in the fall of 2013 the renovated fountain could be seen in the form in which it first appeared before the Romans. Thoroughly cleaned of potassium deposits and darkening, the sculpture now sparkles with its whiteness and you can easily see each of its details that were previously lost under a thick layer of lime deposits.

By the way, the global restoration was carried out in 1932. When the cleaned sculpture appeared before the Romans, the newspapers of that time were full of reports that they might have replaced the original with a copy. And all that for the first time people saw the sculpture in its original form and without unnecessary layers. I can understand them myself, because I saw the fountain before and after the restoration - the difference is impressive!

Fountain Triton in drawing, engraving and painting.

Text - SPRATO

The name is given to the square by the name of the ancient Roman family Barberini.

In ancient times, on the site of the current square, there was a temple of the goddess Flora, next to which noisy national holidays were started in honor of the arrival of spring.

Then, at the beginning of the 16th century, a square was arranged here and named after Cardinal Grimani (Grimani), in 1625 it was renamed after the name of the noble Sforza family. The Sforza estate was acquired by Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII (Urbanus PP. VIII), in 1627 he decided to build a palazzo here.

Pope Urban VIII is a famous figure of his time, educated and well-read, having a large collection of books for those times, familiar with Galileo Galilei (Galileo Galilei), who patronized the arts. He was the initiator of the construction of many buildings in Rome, and he intended the palace and square to perpetuate his glorious family.

Thus, the square acquired its name in 1633, when with its south side, on a hill, the Barberini Palace majestically ascended, and gardens were laid out around the square.

In the middle of the 17th century, under the guidance of an architect and sculptor (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini), a theater with the same name was built on the square. This building has become cultural center cities: representatives of science and art came here, theatrical performances, musical evenings, balls were arranged, poets read their works. The theater existed until 1873, when it was demolished for the construction of Via Barberini.

The miniature and original Fountain of Bees sings of the work of the bee and its help to people and is an important ideological element of the square.
The fountain is surrounded by plane trees, in their shade tourists rest and drink clean water from the fountain, and the marvelous legends of the Barberini house give scope for reflection on human life.

How to get there

Piazza Barberini can be reached by metro (line A). Directly under the square is the Barberini station, and a five-minute walk from famous sights - and.

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"Trevi Fountain"

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (Gian Lorenzo Bernini; Italian. Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini; December 7, 1598, Naples - November 28, 1680, Rome) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He was a prominent architect and leading sculptor of his time, considered the creator of the Baroque style in sculpture.

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (Italian: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) was born in Naples on December 7, 1598 in the family of the sculptor and artist Pietro Bernini. He was seven years old when the family moved to Rome. Giovanni began independent work early - his first work dates back to 1608.

At the age of eighteen, he created the Apollo and Daphne sculpture group. His early works The Rape of Proserpina and David bring him fame. In 1622 he received the honorary Order of Christ. He became famous as a master of sculptural portrait. He made busts of Cardinal Borghese and his muse Buonarelli. Bernini was a versatile personality. He creates a new canon of court sculpture (bust of Duke Francesco d "Este and Louis XIV); was fond of painting and graphics; was known for caricatures of his contemporaries, wrote forty comedies and was engaged in directing domestic performances. He did a lot for the theatrical world as a stage artist and engineer, he developed many stage mechanisms and special effects. The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Giovanni Bernini was a favorite of the Vatican, especially Pope Urban VIII and Alexander VII. Thanks to this, he received the most expensive church orders. In 1629, Bernini was invited to build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and became its chief architect. One of his main creations is the grandiose ensemble of St. Peter's Square (1657-1663). During the same period, Bernini creates his famous sculpture- The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. In general, the architect played a very important role in shaping architectural appearance Rome - many secular buildings and fountains were built according to his drawings. Bernini also worked in France, where he created projects for a new facade of the Louvre and a project for a monument to Louis XIV.
The magnificent work of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, which amazed his contemporaries with the grandeur of his ideas and the courage of their implementation, had big influence on all European art of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Among the creations of Bernini, it is necessary to mention his fountains; I will dwell on them in more detail.

Trevi Fountain (Fontana del Tritone) is the main fountain in Rome.

The first mention of the Trevi Fountain dates back to the second half of the 17th century, when Lorenzo Bernini made several sketches that only a hundred years later would be used in the construction of the fountain by the architect Nicolo Salvi.

Today's view of the Trevi Fountain, consisting of rocks, marble sculptures and niches, dates back to the 18th century, when Pope Clement XII gave the work to Nicolo Salvi.

The architect took as a basis a naturalistic plot - "Hymn to the Ocean": a group of sea inhabitants, led by the lord of the ocean, the god Neptune, rushing on a large sea shell-chariot drawn by sea horses, controls the element of water.

The dimensions of the Trevi Fountain are impressive: more than 25 meters high (against the background of the Poli Palace) and about 20 meters wide.

"Trevi Fountain"

"Fountain of the Four Rivers"

Piazza Navona in rome square fountains.

Architectural ensemble of three fountains in Piazza Navona:
"Fountain of the Four Rivers";
"Fountain of Neptune";
"Fountain of the Moor" (Fountain del Moro).

Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, Rome.

On Piazza Navona, in front of the Pamphili Palace, there is an impressive architectural composition - the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi). This fountain was created by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini by order of Pope Innocent X in 1648-51 .... In the center of the square there is a fountain of four rivers - an Egyptian obelisk surrounded by statues symbolizing the main rivers four parts world - Nile, Ganges, Danube and La Plata. Francesco Baratta, Antonio Fancelli, Andrea Lombardo, Claudius Adam worked on sculptures based on sketches by Bernini. The lion and the hippopotamus are also made of white marble by Lazzaro Morelli.

"Fountain of the Four Rivers" close-up

"Fountain of Neptune"

"Fountain of Neptune" (Fontana del Nettuno) in the northern part of the square. The fountain of Neptune, installed on the square at the end of the 16th century, was also without sculptures; Neptune and the figures surrounding it date back to the 19th century. On this bowl you can see a statue of the God of the seas, who fights with an octopus.

"Fountain of Neptune"

"fountain of the Moor"

"Fountain of the Moor" (Fontana del Moro) - a fountain in the southern part of the square. Initially, the fountain was without figures (end of the 16th century), later it was decorated with the figure of the Moor fighting a dolphin. In the 19th century, a large sculptural group was added to the structure.

"fountain of the Moor"

"fountain of the Moor" close-up

Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe)

The Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe) is a late Renaissance fountain located in Rome on Piazza Mattei (Italian: Piazza Mattei). Created between 1580 and 1588 by architect Giacomo della Porta by sculptor Taddeo Landini. Bronze turtles climbing onto the upper bowl of the fountain were added much later than the construction of the fountain - in 1658-1659, during the reconstruction of the fountain, which was carried out by Bernini or Sacchi. It is believed that dolphins in the company of turtles symbolize the motto "Hurry slowly."

"Fountain Boat" (Fontana della Barcaccia)

The Fountain of the Boat (Fontana della Barcaccia) is a baroque fountain in Piazza di Spagna in Rome near the Spanish Steps. The fountain was built in 1627 (1628) - 1629. designed by Pietro Bernini, father of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, commissioned by Pope Urban VIII. The name “Barkachcha” (“boat”) was given to the fountain due to its shape of a half-submerged boat. It was erected in memory of the flood that occurred in 1598, caused by the overflowing banks of the Tiber, when a boat ran aground on a flooded square. It is noteworthy that the fountain is still supplied with water from the ancient aqueduct Aqua Virgo - the oldest in Rome.

"Fountain of Bees"(Fontana delle Api)

In 1644, the Fountain of the Bees (Fontana delle Api) was installed near Piazza Barberini and Via Veneto. This fountain captivates with its shape in the form of an open sea shell, the lower leaf of which is filled with water, and the inscription with the name of the customer, Pope Urban VIII, is inscribed on the upper one. Between the two wings of the shell, the sculptor has created three small bees that shoot crystal jets into the shell, located on a base of unhewn stones. The construction combines lightness and amazing elegance. Originally, the fountain stood on Via Sistina, at the very end of Piazza Barberini, but in the 1800s it was dismantled and moved to its current location. Over time, many elements of the fountain, including decorative ones, were lost.

The inscription on the fountain reads "Urban VIII built this fountain ... in 1644, in the 21st year of his stay on the papal throne." Bernini finished the work two months before the celebration of the 22nd anniversary of papal rule and took the liberty of writing XXII. This angered the Romans. They claimed that Barberini stole the whole world, and now he wants to steal time as well. The papal nephew sent a stonemason to discreetly erase the last digit. And... Pope Urban VIII died 9 days before the 22nd anniversary of his reign. from here

Triton Fountain

The Triton Fountain (Italian: Fontana del Tritone) is a fountain in Rome, created by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.

This fountain is located in Piazza Barberini, not far from the Palazzo Barberini. The fountain was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) in 1642 shortly after the completion of the palazzo.

The pedestal of the fountain is formed by 4 dolphins, on the tips of their tails there is a huge shell. On the open wings of this shell is a statue of Triton, the son of the god Poseidon. Triton blows a jet of water from the shell, which fills the bowl of the fountain. Between the dolphins are images of the coat of arms of the Barberini family, the papal tiara.

Rome can easily be called the city of fountains, because no other capital in the world can boast of such a quantity. It was the ancient Romans who were the first to build sewers and invented aqueducts - a water supply system with mountain rivers to the city, which daily provided the city with thousands of liters of drinking and pure water. IN ancient Rome there were 212 fountains, a total of 800 were built at all times, and today there are about 280 of them left.

Briefly tellabout the 10 most interesting and beautiful of them, which are definitely worth seeing at least once during your trip to Rome.

We have arranged the fountains in order of proximity to each other, so you can easily get from one to the other.

1. Triton Fountain (Fontana del Tritone)

The Triton Fountain (Italian: Fontana del Tritone) is a fountain in Rome, created by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.

This fountain is located in Piazza Barberini, not far from the Palazzo Barberini. The fountain was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) in 1642 shortly after the completion of the palazzo.

The pedestal of the fountain is formed by 4 dolphins, on the tips of their tails there is a huge shell. On the open wings of this shell is a statue of Triton, the son of the god Poseidon. Triton blows a jet of water from the shell, which fills the bowl of the fountain. Between the dolphins are images of the coat of arms of the Barberini family, the papal tiara.

On the same square is another work by Bernini - the fountain of bees.

How to get there: Barberini red line metro station, walking distance from via del Corso, via Nazionale, Termini station

2. Fountain of Naiads or Nymphs

In the center of the Republic Square (piazza della Repubblica) is the Naiad Fountain, created by the sculptor Mario Rutelli in 1901. One of the most sensual fountains the eternal city was built to order Pope Pius IX in 1870, but acquired its current form after the reconstruction of 1901. After the completion of the work, the fountain remained covered with a large tendon for a long time - according to the city authorities and catholic church the figures of the four nymphs turned out to be too erotic. The authorities did not dare to open the fountain for a long time, until one night a company of cheerful drunken youth tore off the trend covering the structure in order to finally see what was hidden from the public. Fortunately for the authorities and the church, the inhabitants of the city liked the naiads or nymphs, the Italians accepted the fountain with a bang.

How to get there: metro station red line A Repubblica

3. Barcaccia Fountain (Fontana della Barcaccia)

The Barcaccia Fountain (Italian: Fontana della Barcaccia) is a baroque fountain in Piazza di Spagna in Rome near the Spanish Steps.

The fountain was built in 1627 (1628) - 1629. designed by Pietro Bernini, father of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, commissioned by Pope Urban VIII. The name “Barkachcha” (“boat”) was given to the fountain due to its shape of a half-submerged boat. It was erected in memory of the flood that occurred in 1598, caused by the overflowing banks of the Tiber, when a boat ran aground on a flooded square.

It is noteworthy that the fountain is still supplied with water from the ancient aqueduct Aqua Virgo - the oldest in Rome.

How to get there: metro station red line A Spagna. Can be reached on foot from Piazza Barberini.

4. Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quatro Fiumi)

The Fountain of the Four Rivers is one of the most famous fountains in Rome. Located in Piazza Navona. Built in 1648-1651. designed by Bernini.

In 1644, a pope from the Pamphili family decided to erect an Egyptian obelisk next to the Pamphili family palace, as it was believed at that time, brought to Rome by the emperor Caracalla. (In fact, the obelisk is pseudo-Egyptian, created under Domitian). A competition was announced for best project, however, the great Bernini was not allowed to participate due to the intrigues of enemies. Despite this, Bernini prepared a silver project for the fountain, which provided for the placement of statues of the river gods of the main rivers of the four parts of the world (Nile, Ganges, Danube and La Plata) around the obelisk. His patron Ludovisi, being married to the pope's niece, put a model of the fountain in the dining room where he dined. Innocent was struck by the hitherto unheard-of harmony of sculpture and architecture, canceled the competition and ordered Bernini to start building the fountain without delay.

How to get there: Piazza Navona is easily reached on foot from Piazza di Spagna and from the Barcaccia Fountain, moving along Via dei Condotti

5. Fountain of the Moor (Fontana del Moro)

In the south of Piazza Navona is the Fountain of the Moor. In addition to the impressive sculptural composition it is known for its changes over the centuries. The first part of the fountain - four sculptures of tritons - was built in 1576 by Giacomo del Porta, commissioned by the pontiff Gregorio XIII. Almost a century later, the daughter-in-law of Innocent X, Olimpia Maidalchini, decides to remake the fountain to her taste and involves Bernini himself in the work.

The great architect is developing a sketch of the Moor - the central composition of the fountain, which is fighting a dolphin. His project was carried out by Giovanni Antonio Mari, in 1654 the fountain of the Moor takes on a finished look. In 1874, it was decided to move the original sculpture of the Moor to the park of Villa Borghese, and replaced it with a sculpture by Luigi Amici, repeating the sketch of the great master.

6. Fountain of Neptune

The Fountain of Neptune is located in the northern part of Piazza Navona. Once it was called "Fontana del Calderari" - this was due to the location near the blacksmith workshops, which produced pots, pans and other metal products.

The construction of the Neptune Fountain continued for several decades, as the architects and sculptors who worked on it sought to make their creation consistent with the general style of the square.



In the form in which the fountain exists today, the construction was finally completed in 1878 by Antonio della Bitta. The sculptor added a central statue to the sculptural group of the fountain - "the struggle of Neptune with an octopus." Other sculptors created the rest of the sculptures based on various mythological subjects and depicting nereids, cupids and marine animals.

7. Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is the largest fountain in Rome, 25.9 meters high and 19.8 meters wide.

This baroque fountain was built between 1732 and 1762 by the architect Nicola Salvi. It adjoins the facade of the Palazzo Poli (Italian: Palazzo Poli), the second floor of which was built in the 1830s. filmed by Princess Z. A. Volkonskaya.

The majestic facade of the palace and the fountain are perceived as a whole, and therefore the fountain seems even more grandiose. From the central niche of the palace, like on a chariot, the Ocean rides out, sitting on a sea shell, which is pulled by newts and hippocampi. Allegorical figures are placed in niches on the sides of Neptune, and bas-reliefs are placed above them. On the right bas-relief, a young girl tells the Roman soldiers where the spring is. From this source an aqueduct was laid, through which water flowed to Rome, and the aqueduct, as well as the source, was called Acqua Vergine.

Until the fall of 2015, the fountain is under repair, but part of its restored facade can already be seen.

How to get there: is located piazza di Trevi, you can walk along via del Corso along via delle Murate.

8. Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe)

The Turtle Fountain is a late Renaissance fountain located in Rome on Piazza Mattei (Italian: Piazza Mattei). Created between 1580 and 1588 by architect Giacomo della Porta by sculptor Taddeo Landini.

Bronze turtles climbing onto the upper bowl of the fountain were added much later than the construction of the fountain - in 1658-1659, during the reconstruction of the fountain, which was carried out by Bernini or Sacchi.

It is believed that dolphins in the company of turtles symbolize the motto "Hurry slowly."

How to get there: piazza mattei crosses major street via Arenula, which leads from the center of Rome to the Trastevere area

9. Fountain Aqua Paola (Fontana dell "Acqua Paola)

The Aqua Paola fountain, also known as Il Fontanone ("great fountain"), is located in Rome on the Janiculum hill next to the church of San Pietro in Montorio. Built in 1610-1612 at the end of the Acqua Paola aqueduct, restored and named after Pope Paul V. At that time it was the largest fountain on the left bank of the Tiber.

Five powerful jets through the arches fill five marble pools. In 1690, Carlo Fontana added a semi-circular basin for the water that flowed over the edge of the five original ones. It is interesting that people liked to swim in the fountain locals, and in 1707 even had to issue a special decree prohibiting this. By the way, the shape of Aqua Paola served as a model for the creation of the legendary Trevi Fountain.

How to get there: located at observation deck Gianicolo in the Trastevere area, the exact address Via Garibaldi, 30

10. Fountain in St. Peter's Square (piazza San Pietro)

If you stand facing St. Peter's Basilica, then on the right we will see a fountain, commissioned by Pope Paul V in 1614 by Carlo Maderno. The fountain is made up of big pool, in the center of which rises a hexagonal marble block. It serves as a support for two bowls, the first of which (lower) has a traditional round shape with low sides, and the second (upper) is somewhat smaller and turned upside down. Seven jets hit from the top of the fountain, then flowing down the rounded surface of the upper bowl and forming a water veil. It is noteworthy that this particular fountain was the first in the history of Rome, where the architect applied such a design.

How to get there: St. Peter's Square is located in the Vatican, the metro station of the red line A Ottaviano - San Pietro

After a short walk along Barberini Street, we got to the square of the same name. The square was created in the 16th century, and most of the surrounding buildings have since been significantly rebuilt. Modern name the square received in 1625 after the construction of the Palazzo Barberini on a hill to the south of the square.