The Fountain of Ponte Sisto
Title
The Fountain of Ponte Sisto
Subject
Tiber
Description
The Fountain of Ponte Sisto is currently located at Piazza Trilussa, on the west side of Ponte Sisto. According to its niche inscription, this fountain was moved to its current location for the purpose of widening the river’s opposite bank in 1898. The original location of the fountain was at the head of Via Giulia and on the east side of Ponte Sisto. The historical etching shows that this fountain was incorporated into a building facing the direction of Vatican and was connected with Ponte Sisto.
This fountain is fed with water from Acqua Paola, an early 17th century aqueduct restored by Pope Paul V to provide water to Vatican and Trastevere areas. Since the 16th century, popes restored three ancient aqueducts and built new public fountains in order to restore Roman authority and Catholic Church’s Prestige. The Fountain of Ponte Sisto supplied water to the area on the east side of Ponte Sisto where the other two aqueducts could not reach.
In her article, Rinne proposed different types of public fountains of 16th and 17th century. She introduced the highly ornamental civic fountains as the early establishment of public fountains. The main purpose of civic fountains was to glorify the city, to impress the visitors, and to reflect the prestige back to the papacy. There were restrictions against using the civic fountain for utility purposes, such as drinking and laundry. Soon, a type of drinking fountain as a supplement to civic fountain, beveratore, appeared as free standing fountains and drew water from the runoff water of the nearest civic fountain in the same piazza. Another type of fountain, semi-public fountains were initiated in the 1570s where wealthy individuals were given a quantity of water for free in exchange for constructing a public drinking fountain. Semi-public fountains were usually small and scattered around the city.
In her article, Rinne does not specify which type of fountain the Fountain of Ponte Sisto is. It is likely that this fountain was a civic fountain to reflect the prestige back to its builder, Pope Paul V. The Fountain of Ponte Sisto probably acted as a mini-distribution center for secondary fountains and for powerful individuals. Individuals might have built a private conduit or pipeline to lead the water to their houses. In 1621, Cardinal Odoardo Farnese was granted 40 oncie of Acqua Paola run-off water by Pope Gregory XV from this fountain for use in the Palazzo Farnese. There was also a modest donation of one oncia water from this fountain to the nearby hospital of San Sisto delle Mendicanti in 1616.
This fountain is fed with water from Acqua Paola, an early 17th century aqueduct restored by Pope Paul V to provide water to Vatican and Trastevere areas. Since the 16th century, popes restored three ancient aqueducts and built new public fountains in order to restore Roman authority and Catholic Church’s Prestige. The Fountain of Ponte Sisto supplied water to the area on the east side of Ponte Sisto where the other two aqueducts could not reach.
In her article, Rinne proposed different types of public fountains of 16th and 17th century. She introduced the highly ornamental civic fountains as the early establishment of public fountains. The main purpose of civic fountains was to glorify the city, to impress the visitors, and to reflect the prestige back to the papacy. There were restrictions against using the civic fountain for utility purposes, such as drinking and laundry. Soon, a type of drinking fountain as a supplement to civic fountain, beveratore, appeared as free standing fountains and drew water from the runoff water of the nearest civic fountain in the same piazza. Another type of fountain, semi-public fountains were initiated in the 1570s where wealthy individuals were given a quantity of water for free in exchange for constructing a public drinking fountain. Semi-public fountains were usually small and scattered around the city.
In her article, Rinne does not specify which type of fountain the Fountain of Ponte Sisto is. It is likely that this fountain was a civic fountain to reflect the prestige back to its builder, Pope Paul V. The Fountain of Ponte Sisto probably acted as a mini-distribution center for secondary fountains and for powerful individuals. Individuals might have built a private conduit or pipeline to lead the water to their houses. In 1621, Cardinal Odoardo Farnese was granted 40 oncie of Acqua Paola run-off water by Pope Gregory XV from this fountain for use in the Palazzo Farnese. There was also a modest donation of one oncia water from this fountain to the nearby hospital of San Sisto delle Mendicanti in 1616.
Creator
Yingying Wang (2019)
Source
Rinne, Katherine Wentworth. "Hydraulic Infrastructure and Urbanism in Early Modern Rome." Papers of the British School at Rome 73 (2005): 191-222.
Identifier
pontesistofountain_2017
Coverage
Spatial Coverage
Piazza Trilussa, 00153 Roma RM
Description
The Fountain of Ponte Sisto is currently located at Piazza Trilussa, on the west side of Ponte Sisto. According to its niche inscription, this fountain was moved to its current location for the purpose of widening the river’s opposite bank in 1898. The original location of the fountain was at the head of Via Giulia and on the east side of Ponte Sisto. The historical etching shows that this fountain was incorporated into a building facing the direction of Vatican and was connected with Ponte Sisto.This fountain is fed with water from Acqua Paola, an early 17th century aqueduct restored by Pope Paul V to provide water to Vatican and Trastevere areas. Since the 16th century, popes restored three ancient aqueducts and built new public fountains in order to restore Roman authority and Catholic Church’s Prestige. The Fountain of Ponte Sisto supplied water to the area on the east side of Ponte Sisto where the other two aqueducts could not reach.
In her article, Rinne proposed different types of public fountains of 16th and 17th century. She introduced the highly ornamental civic fountains as the early establishment of public fountains. The main purpose of civic fountains was to glorify the city, to impress the visitors, and to reflect the prestige back to the papacy. There were restrictions against using the civic fountain for utility purposes, such as drinking and laundry. Soon, a type of drinking fountain as a supplement to civic fountain, beveratore, appeared as free standing fountains and drew water from the runoff water of the nearest civic fountain in the same piazza. Another type of fountain, semi-public fountains were initiated in the 1570s where wealthy individuals were given a quantity of water for free in exchange for constructing a public drinking fountain. Semi-public fountains were usually small and scattered around the city.
In her article, Rinne does not specify which type of fountain the Fountain of Ponte Sisto is. It is likely that this fountain was a civic fountain to reflect the prestige back to its builder, Pope Paul V. The Fountain of Ponte Sisto probably acted as a mini-distribution center for secondary fountains and for powerful individuals. Individuals might have built a private conduit or pipeline to lead the water to their houses. In 1621, Cardinal Odoardo Farnese was granted 40 oncie of Acqua Paola run-off water by Pope Gregory XV from this fountain for use in the Palazzo Farnese. There was also a modest donation of one oncia water from this fountain to the nearby hospital of San Sisto delle Mendicanti in 1616.