Fountain of Moses, Rome
The Fountain of Moses, also known as the Acqua Felice, is a fountain of Rome on the Piazza San Bernardo. The composition of the fountain resembles a decorative triumphal arch, in the center of the fountain there is a majestic statue of Moses. The fountain is recognized as an architectural monument of the 16th century and is an integral part of the architectural ensemble of the Eternal City.
History of the Fountain of Moses
The history of the Fountain of Moses begins in 1585, when a few months after his election, the new Pope Sixtus V was concerned about the city's water supply problem. It was decided to carry out the restoration of the Aqua Alexandrina aqueduct, built in 226. At the end of the work the Pope decided to give it a name in his honor.
Later the aqueduct began to bear the name "Acqua Felice". The fountain, created at the end of the aqueduct, in the place where the inhabitants of Rome collected water, also began to be called this way.
The Moses Fountain is a project of the famous Italian architect Domenico Fontana. Acqua Felice became the first, since antiquity, monumental fountain, which was built in the city. The grand opening of the fountain took place in June of 1587, although the project had not yet been finalized by that time.
Composition of the Fontana dell'Acqua Felice
The composition of the fountain can be conditionally divided into three zones. In the lower part there are sculptures, which are separated by columns of marble and volcanic rock.
- In the central part there is the statue of Moses, which was created in 1588 by the craftsmen Leonardo Sormani and Prospero da Brescia. Outwardly it is similar to the sculpture of Moses of the famous Michelangelo from the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli. To the left of Moses the author portrayed Aaron, a character of the Old Testament, brother of Moses, who led the Jews to an oasis in the desert. Sculpture is the work of Giovanni Battista della Porta. On the right there is the image of Joshua.
- At the foot of the statues there are four Egyptian lions, from the mouths of which water flows. Two lions were previously located on the square at the entrance to the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and the second pair – at the columns of the Lutheran Basilica.
- The third level of the fountain is represented by the sculptures of two angels who hold the family coat of arms of Pope Sixtus V. In the upper part of the arch there is a traditional inscription in honor of the Pope, the father of the fountain of Moses in Rome.
How to get there
These are the routes of public transport to the fountain of Moses:
- buses № 61, 62, 85, 150F, 492, N1, N5 or N12 (the stop – Largo Santa Susanna);
- metro – the nearest station "Repubblica", "Barberini", "Termini".
