FOUNTAIN OF THE BORGO DENTRO

THE HISTORY

Information obtained from sources tell us that the fountain was mentioned as early as the end of the 14th century. In the information present in the two notary records by the notary Sir Muzzarello, we know of the existence of the fountain “near the Church of Santa Maria, seat of the Disciplined” in 1467 and 1479. However, according to the Viterbo historian Cesare Pinzi, the fountain was constructed along with the aqueduct of Bagnaia by Bernardino di Giovanni da Viterbo in 1526. It is thought that the location of the fountain was the same, but the fountain changed its architectural appearance over time. In the years of urban revitalization by Cardinal Raffaele Riario, other than the works of creating a new gate, the renovation of the Church of Santa Maria, the Church of the Madonna della Porta and the palazzo delle Logge, it is probable that there was new reorganization of the new main piazza of the borgo. Especially in 1541, with the opening of the monumental gate and the transfer of the center of the borgo to the piazza del Castello. It is possible that this date refers to the phase of work that gave the fountain a new home and was reshaped later. In 1600, Cardinal Montalto urged the City of Bagnaia “to create the fountain of the piazza inside the walls of the borgo following the design of the project plan”. This would imply a new architectural plan in correspondence with the new work done to the piazza. However, the economic troubles of the community of Bagnaia did not allow immediate action. Again in 1605, Cardinal Camerlengo Mariano da Camerino suggested that “extraordinary revenues be spent on the renovation and accommodation of the fountain inside the piazza.” However, this recommendation yielded no results for the poor economic condition of the community. Later in 1616, given that the fountain created an obstacle for the passage of the carriages, it was discussed in the city hall to move the fountain to the location of the archives (the present Church of the Madonna della Porta). “Over and over we have spoken here of putting the fountain in the present location of the archive to remove it from its current location, to modernize it, and free the piazza to create more room”. Only in 1618 did the Municipality of Viterbo find the money for “the erection of the new fontana di dentro”. After a short time of malcontent from Cardinal Montalto over the exact location of the fountain, on September 16, 1618, the fountain was completed and located “near the door in a way that would not impede the entrance of the carriages and is three palmi (an old unit of measurement) from the house of Master Quintiliano and not as it was designed by the Trojano architect”. The fountain was finally moved. The date is inscribed on the square at the base of the tank. The final aspect of the fountain, which we see today, was worked on by the masons who probably adopted the modern design that was suggested by Cardinal Montalto. It is not without coincidence that the emblems present around the perimeter of the bigger tank refer to Cardinal Montalto (mountains) and the Municipality of Bagnaia (waves of water).

DESCRIPTION

The fountain is located in the “center” of the borgo of Bagnaia (VT), in piazza Castello. It is composed of two circular tanks, with one on top of the other. The larger one is on the ground, and is decorated with an alternating pattern of mountains and six-pointed stars (the symbol of the Montalto family) and waves (the symbol of the City of Bagnaia). In one of the panels at the base, the date 1789 is carved in memory of its reconstruction in that year. In the center of the larger tank, there is a short squared torus from which a short column in the shape of pelike rises. It ends with an echinus, on which rests the smaller tank. The perimeter of the round tank is decorated with four lion heads, which all serve as water spouts. A small column in the shape of a pelike supports rocks on which are positioned four lions, and above these are mountains. Both the mountains and the lions are parts of the emblems of the Peretti Montalto Damasceni family. Note that the decorations are exact reproductions of the those that decorate the Fontana dei Leoncini at Villa Lante.

Translation by Lauren Williamson, Texas A&M University, enrolled in the USAC Viterbo program at the Università degli Studi della Tuscia.

ESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Fonti
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