Fountain of the Four Rivers
The Fountain of the Four Rivers is called one of the treasures of Rome. This city is like an art gallery that welcomes tourists every year. The landmark is the creation of architect Lorenzo Bernini, it was built on Piazza Navona. The unique sculpture impresses with its beauty and scale.
A bit of history
The construction of the Fountain of the Four Rivers was expensive, which is why it was initially received without enthusiasm. To pay for the construction, Italy even introduced an additional tax on bread, salt, and meat products. During its construction, the fountain was overgrown with legends and rumors.
Bernini's envious critics argued that the Fountain of the Four Rivers had the wrong proportions, which meant it would not work. The sculptor carried out additional calculations and created a full-fledged fountain, but he still had to correct mistakes.
For a long time, the fountain was not just a masterpiece, but also had a practical purpose. It served as a water source for the Romans. The sculpture was also conceived as a sign of the superiority of the Catholic Church over paganism.
Features of the Fountain of Four Rivers
The sculpture has a base of 16 meters, on which there are 4 river gods. They symbolize parts of the world: Europe, Africa, Asia, the New World. These are rivers such as the Danube, Nile, Ganges, La Plata. Every deity is different from each other.
The masterpiece is complemented by various animal sculptures. In the center of the composition is a huge Egyptian statue. She was crowned by a dove with an olive branch as a sign of hope. After completion, the building was decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphs, and fruits of the continents were added, symbolizing abundance.
One of the features of the Fountain of the Four Rivers is a statue of the god Nile, with its face covered with a cloth. This fact was explained by the fact that at the time of construction the source of the river was not yet known, it was little studied.
The Baroque fountain is made of an expensive material - Aswan granite. According to some sources, he was specially brought to Rome. Other sources indicate that the obelisk was made in Italy.
It is easy to get to the Fountain of the Four Rivers from any part of the city, public transport constantly goes to it. Tourists, musicians, artists and just vacationing residents of the city gather near the fountain. In winter, fairs are held near it. A visit to this architectural monument is included in the guided tours.
