Fontana delle Api (''Fountain of the Bees'') is a fountain located in the
Piazza Barberini
Piazza Barberini is a large piazza in the ''centro storico'' or city center of Rome, Italy and situated on the Quirinal Hill. It was created in the 16th century but many of the surrounding buildings have subsequently been rebuilt.
The current ...
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 ...
where the Via Veneto enters the piazza. It was sculpted by
Gian Lorenzo Bernini and completed in April 1644.
Description
''Fontana delle Api'' consists of a marble bi-valve shell with three bees of the same material resting on it. The fountain was intended to be a watering
trough for horses. An inscription on the shell reads, "Urban VIII Pont. Max., having built a fountain for the public ornamentation of the City, also built this little fountain to be of service to private citizens. In the year 1644, XXI of his pontificate." The "public ornamentation" referred to in the inscription is the
Fontana del Tritone (''Triton Fountain''), which Bernini had completed the year before.
See also
*
List of fountains in Rome
*
List of works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
References
Piazza Barberini
External links
*
{{Authority control
1644 works
Insects in art
1640s sculptures
Api
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...
Marble sculptures in Italy
Sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Seashells in art
Rome R. XVI Ludovisi