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 attraction is the creation of the architect Lorenzo Bernini, it was built on Piazza Navona. The unique sculpture amazes with its beauty and scale.

A little history

The construction of the Fountain of the Four Rivers was expensive, which is why it was initially accepted without enthusiasm. To pay for construction in Italy, they even introduced an additional tax on bread, salt, and meat products. During its construction, the fountain became overgrown with legends and rumors.

Bernini's envious people argued that the Fountain of the Four Rivers had incorrect proportions, which means it would not be functional. The sculptor carried out additional calculations and created a full-fledged fountain, but he still had to correct errors.

For a long time, the fountain was not just a masterpiece, but also had a practical purpose. It served as a source of water for the Romans. The sculpture was also intended as a sign of the superiority of the Catholic Church over paganism.

Features of the Fountain of the 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. Each deity is different from each other.

The masterpiece is supplemented with 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. Once completed, the building was decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphs and fruits from the continents were added to symbolize abundance.

One of the features of the Fountain of the Four Rivers is a statue of the god Nile, with his 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 had been little studied.

The fountain was made in the Baroque style from expensive material - Aswan granite. According to some sources, it 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 runs to it. Tourists, musicians, artists and simply vacationing city residents gather near the fountain. In winter, fairs are held near it. A visit to this architectural monument is included in the excursions.