The Fontana del Formiello (Fountain of the Formiello) is a historic public fountain located at the rear exterior of the

Castel Capuano Castel Capuano is a castle in Naples, southern Italy. It takes its name from the fact that it was at that point in the city walls where the road led out to the city of Capua. The castle is at the southwest end of via dei Tribunali, and until re ...

, facing Piazza Enrico de Nicola, and across the street from the church and convent of

Santa Caterina a Formiello Santa Caterina a Formiello is a church in Naples, in southern Italy, located at the extreme eastern end of the old historic center of the city, on Via Carbonara and Piazza Enrico de Nicola, near the gate called Porta Capuana. The term ''Formiello' ...

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, Italy. The term Formiello comes from the forms or containers for water spouts found in the convent. The fountain had been placed in storage during the late 19th century, and reconstructed at this site in 1930. Mastro Joseppe and Michel De Guido were commissioned in 1573 to reconstruct a medieval fountain, originally called Fontana Reale con Abeveratoio, suggesting it was a watering station for horses. Three lion masks disgorge water, while the superior structure has a heraldic shield of the viceroy. The Shield is that of Don Pedro Tellez Giron, Duke of Osuna. A plaque in Latin states that: "While Philip II (of Spain) governed, here stopped travelers to venerate the waters of the Sebeto River, that the choirs of the Aonidi, and the waves of

Parnassus Mount Parnassus (; el, Παρνασσός, ''Parnassós'') is a mountain range of central Greece that is and historically has been especially valuable to the Greek nation and the earlier Greek city-states for many reasons. In peace, it offers ...

, here provide you the source of

Melpomene In Greek mythology, Melpomene (; grc, Μελπομένη, Melpoménē, to sing' or 'the one that is melodious), initially the muse of chorus, eventually became the muse of tragedy, and is now best known in that association. Etymology Melp ...

, who sings the aria of the works of the king." It is rumored that in the 17th century the viceroy Don Pedro Antonio of Aragon added a statue of

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...

, but the placement was rebuffed by the people of Naples.Beni Culturali di Campania.
/ref> Formiello_Lato

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Formiello, Naples Fountains in Naples