There are times on your educational tour where you may walk by something that intrigues you but you have no idea what it is or its history.
Just a short distance from the Galleria Nazionale D’Arte Antica is a very peculiar intersection. Here students and educators will come across Le Quattro Fontane or The Four Fountains.
The Quattro Fontane is a group of fountains from the late Renaissance period that are located at the intersection of Via delle Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale in the Italian capital. Commissioned by Pope Sixtus V and constructed under the guidance of Muzio Mattei (an Italian nobleman), it was installed between 1588 and 1593. The four carved figures represent the River Tiber (the symbol of Rome), the River Arno (the symbol of Florence), Diana (the goddess of the hunt, moon, and birthing), and Juno (the patron goddess of Rome and strength). The Tiber, Arno, and Juno fountains are the work of Domenico Fontana. The Diana fountain was designed by the painter and architect Pietro da Cortona. You may also notice that two of the fountains have an elaborate stucco tree as their background. Added at a later period, the trees were to serve as a reminder of the gardens which once stood behind the fountains.
The later Baroque church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, by Francesco Borromini, is located near the fountains, and takes its name from them. Until 1964, the Via Quattro Fontane was home to the Pontifical Scots College.
Fountains have a long history with Rome, and the city has a vast array of them that could rival any other city! Keep your eyes peeled while out walking on your student tour. You never know what’s just around the corner.
Keep on traveling,
Kate.