Roma - Fontane

Piazza San Bernardo
Fontana del Mose

This show-fountain of the Felice waters, so-called to honour Pope Sisto V ( Felice Peretti), who restored the aqueduct of the Alessandrina waters, is the work of the brothers Giovanni and Domenico Fontana in 1587. It was built in travertine with three large niches emphasised by four, symmetrically placed Ionic columns with four Egyptian lions, two in white marble and two in dark. At the inauguration in 1587 the heavy statue of Moses, more than four metres tall, had not yet been placed in the central niche of the fountain. The lateral niches contain the statues of Aronne and Gideon. The frontice-piece holds the papal coat of arms whilst protecting the basins is an imposing baluster from a building erected by Pious IV as the inscription present indicates.