Four Fountains

★ 4.5 (1,374)Free

Built between 1588 and 1590 under Pope Sixtus V, the four corner fountains mark the intersection of two long, straight streets he had cut through Rome to connect major basilicas on a pilgrimage route. Each fountain represents a different figure, the rivers Tiber and Arno and the goddesses Diana and Juno, arranged so that from the center of the crossing all four are visible at once alongside distant views toward obelisks in two directions. It's a small, easily missed detail for anyone simply passing through, best appreciated by pausing at the intersection itself. A brief, rewarding stop for lovers of urban planning and Baroque design.

✨ Reasons to go

1Built between 1588 and 1590 under Pope Sixtus V at the crossing of two straight streets he cut through Rome to link major basilicas.
2Each of the four fountains depicts a different figure: the Tiber, the Arno, Diana, and Juno.
3Standing at the exact center of the intersection lets you see all four fountains plus distant obelisks in two directions at once.

💡 Good to know

1Stand at the center of the intersection to see all four fountains and the distant obelisk views at once
2it's easy to walk past without noticing, so look up as you cross
3traffic moves through the intersection, so watch your step while taking it in.

⏱️ Typical visit

20 min

🚶 Walking intensity

Easy pace

📍

Address

Via delle Quattro Fontane, 00187 Roma RM, Italy · RomaGoogle Apple

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Booking

Walk-in

What people say

"They were built between 1588 and 1590, during the pontificate of Sixtus V Peretti, to adorn the crossroads formed by the Strada Pia (today's Via XX Settembre) with the Strada Felice (today's Via delle Quattro Fontane).The complex, powered by the Felice Aqueduct, at the time just restored by the Pope himself, was built with materials from the Septizodium, a monumental nymphaeum with seven orders of columns built by Septimius Severus at the foot of the Palatine Hill and demolished by Domenico Fontana to supply the numerous construction sites opened by Pope Sixtus V. The fountains are characterized by semicircular travertine basins on which there is a statue lying on the scenographic background consisting of plant ornaments. Two of these represent rivers: the one at the corner of Palazzo del Drago shows the Arno flanked by a lion, emblem of Florence, while, close to the nearby church of San Carlino, is the Tiber with a cornucopia full of fruit in the left hand and, alongside, the she-wolf. On the side facing Palazzo Barberini is represented the Fidelity or, more probably, Diana, flanked by a dog and leaning against the three mountains, symbol of Sixtus V. The fourth fountain represents the Fortress or the goddess Juno; on his left is a peacock, while on the right the water gushes from a lion's head.The design of the fountains of the Tiber, Arno and Juno is attributed to Domenico Fontana, who also designed the street, while the fourth, that of Diana, is by Pietro da Cortona."

— Misiu martino

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