The Fontana della Piazza dei Quiriti is a fountain in the Piazza dei Quiriti in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, in the middle of the Prati

rione A (; plural: ) is a neighbourhood in several Italian cities. A is a territorial subdivision. The larger administrative subdivisions in Rome are the , with the being used only in the historic centre. The word derives from the Latin , the 14 su ...

. The plaza is named after the inhabitants of the city of Cures, the ''Curites'' or later ''Quirites'', namely the Sabines, who became inhabitants and co-founders of Rome. Another theory derives the name from the god

Quirinus In Roman mythology and religion, Quirinus ( , ) is an early god of the Roman state. In Augustan Rome, ''Quirinus'' was also an epithet of Janus, as ''Janus Quirinus''. Name Attestations The name of god Quirinus is recorded across Roman sou ...

, a Roman deity. The fountain was constructed in 1928 by sculptor Attilio Selva, and includes female

caryatid A caryatid ( or or ; grc, Καρυᾶτις, pl. ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "ma ...

sculptures.

Design

The ''Fountain of the

Caryatid A caryatid ( or or ; grc, Καρυᾶτις, pl. ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "ma ...

s'' is in the center of the plaza, and was built in 1928 by sculptor Attilio Selva (Trieste 1888–1970). It was commissioned by the governor of Rome, Ludovico Spada Veralli Potenziani, who had been directed by

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

to manage the Capital. The realization of Fontana was considered scandalous for the presence of the four statues of naked women. The design is thought to be one of the causes that brought Mussolini to dismiss the governor in 1928.

Description

The work consists of a circular pool slightly raised above the street level. The protruding edge, the center of which is placed on a large circular base, a convex edge, on which the water slides rather than falls. The base supports a stocky and short baluster, adorned at the top with the leaves or petals relief from which flows the water and in the lower half, with a series of small tanks placed around the circumference of the banister. The latter supports a wide, central, flared basin, whose center is located in a circular base just higher than the tub edge. On the base are four large sitting nude female figures, caryatids, supporting the arms. At the center of the water gushes from a big pine cone. The inauguration was originally scheduled for 21 April 1928, but had to be postponed until May 9. The controversy soon subsided, because the fascist government in general supported the use of nude statues that soon adorned many official buildings.

Church of St. Joachim

Near the square stands the church of St. Joachim, completed in 1898 by architect Raffaele Ingami. Its purpose was to solemnize the priestly and episcopal jubilee of Leo XIII.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fontana Della Piazza Dei Quiriti Fountains in Rome Rome R. XXII Prati Nude sculptures in Italy