Fountain: Vanvitelli Fountain - Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy

Vanvitelli Fountain

Civitavecchia

Lazio, Italy

N 42° 05.580 E 011° 47.424

Short Description: 

The Vanvitelli Fountain is located on the port side of the city walls of Civitavecchia along a promenade at opposite the Calata della Rocca.

Long Description:

In 1630 a  port duty reinstated in Civiavecchia, Italy. Urbano VIII found it necessary to separate the port itself from the city to protect the revenue.  In 1740, Pope Benedict XIV commissioned sculptor Luigi Vanvitelli to construct a travertine fountain in the center of the wall separating the port from the city of Civitavecchia. The fountain, at 22' long and 30' high exceeds the height of the walls. At the bottom center of the fountain is the sculpted face of an elderly faun. Water flows out of the mouth into a basin below.

Above the fountain is a marble dado which is inscribed in Latin:

BENEDICTVS XIV

PONTIFEX MAXIMVS

PORTUM ANTIQVITATE

ET OPPORTVNITATE CLARVM

LIBERVM DIXIT

ET SALVBRIVM AQVARVM

FONTE DITAVIT

ANNO DOMINI

MDCCXLIII

PONTIFIC. III

A smaller inscription in the lower right hand corner of the dado indicates that the Lions Clubs of Civitavecchia and S. Marinella restored the fountain in 1967.