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The fountain was commissioned by Innocent X Pamphilj to Bernini, because this Pope wanted to transform
Piazza Navona in to a splendid symbol of his
family’s power. It is said that the artist received his commission after he presented
a silver model of the work to Olimpia Maidalchini, the Pope’s grasping sister-in-law.
The fountain is crowned by an Egyptian Obelisk, an imenation made in the time of
 Domitian,
and which was found in the Circus of Maxentius on the Appia Antica. The obelisk soars
upwards almost defying the laws of gravity, poised on a sort of hollow rocky outcrop,
under which are visible a drinking lion, a horse, a young palm-tree and a monster (this
might be an attempt to portray an armadillo). The Papal keys and tiara decorate the
Pamphilj’s coat of arms, representing a dove, with an olive-branch in its beak. The
four greatest rivers of the known world are represented by half-naked giants. The River
Nile has a veil over his head, indicating the sources of this river had not yet been
discovered (others say he does not wish to see Sant’Agnese,
the church built by Bernini’s rival
Borromini). The Rio de la Plata, or River Plate, has the
features of Antonio Emanuel Marquis of Funta, the Ambassador to the court of Papal Court
sent by King Alvaro of Congo. This man, called in Rome "il Nigrita", died in
Rome and was buried in Santa Maria Maggiore in year 1608. The statue seems to be raising
one hand as if to stop the façade of the church from falling down, supposedly a
malevolent criticism by Bernini against his rival
Borromini. In reality, we know the fountain was finished
in 1651, well before Borromini
could build the façade,
which is dated 1653 to 1657. Accessibility
The centre of the Piazza is raised, and it may be difficult to pass without external
help for those in wheelchairs. Apart from this, the piazza is relatively free from all
obstacles. In the piazza one may take a rest on the stone seats, and upon the iron
balustrades which surround the three fountains. One may also sit at the outdoor tables of
the cafés around the piazza during good weather.
in the photo: Fountain of the Four Rivers |
