Fontana del Moro (''Moor Fountain'') is a

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or Spring (hydrology), spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. ...

located at the southern end of the

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the '' agones' ...

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 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It represents a

Moor Moor or Moors may refer to: Nature and ecology * Moorland, a habitat characterized by low-growing vegetation and acidic soils. Ethnic and religious groups * Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during ...

, or African (perhaps originally meant to be

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...

), standing in a

conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...

shell, wrestling with a dolphin, surrounded by four Tritons. It is placed in a basin of rose-colored

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

History

Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6364040

The fountain was originally designed by

Giacomo della Porta Giacomo della Porta (1532–1602) was an Italian architect and sculptor, who worked on many important buildings in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica. He was born at Porlezza, Lombardy and died in Rome. Biography Giacomo Della Porta was b ...

in 1575 with the dolphin and four Tritons. 16th-century artists including

Gillis van den Vliete Gillis van den Vliete known in Italy as Egìdio della RivieraEgìdio della Riviera
at Tre ...

Taddeo Landini Taddeo Landini (c. 1561 – March 13, 1596) was an Italian sculptor and architect of the Mannerist period, active mainly in his native Florence and after 1580, in Rome. Biography His initial training was in Tuscany, and to Rome, he brought the d ...

Simone Moschini Simone Mosca (1492–1554) was an Italian sculptor who was born in Settignano (part of Florence). His sons were sculptors Francesco Mosca, called ''Il Moschino'' (ca. 1531-1578) and Simone Simoncelli, also known as ''Simone Moschino'' (1533-1 ...

and

Giacobbe Silla Longhi Giacobbe is both an Italian surname and a masculine Italian given name, cognate to English Jacob. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Francesco Giacobbe (born 1958), Italian politician *Gabriella Giacobbe (1923–1979), Italian actres ...

sculpted the tritons, dragons and masks after the designs of della Porta.Fontana del Moro
In 1653, the statue of the Moor, designed by

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

and sculpted by Giannantonio Mari, was added. In 1874, during a restoration of the fountain, the original statues were moved to the

Galleria Borghese The Galleria Borghese () is an art gallery in Rome, Italy, housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. At the outset, the gallery building was integrated with its gardens, but nowadays the Villa Borghese gardens are considered a separate tourist ...

and replaced with copies by Luigi Amici. In September 2011, the fountain was damaged after a vandal attacked it with a hammer. The vandal also damaged the ''

Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain ( it, Fontana di Trevi) is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini and several others. Standing high and wide, it is the larg ...

'' that night.

References

External links

* Moro Rome R. VI Parione Sculptures of gods Dolphins in art Seashells in art {{Italy-struct-stub

History

See also

References

External links