Il Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini is yet another piece of work by Bernini. Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1642, King Triton kneels and blows water out of a conch shell. He is located at the foot of the Via Veneto in the middle of the busy Piazza Berberini.
Pope Urban VIII came from the Barberini family and had the fountain built after his family palace was completed. On the tails of the dolphins, Bernini carved the Barberini coat of arms, the papal seal, and the keys of Saint Peter.
Although The Fountain of Triton isn't nearly as popular as the Trevi or the Four Rivers, it is still relevant to the landscape of Roma. People don't necessarily hang out there at night because it's in the middle of a busy intersection, but they'll use it as a meeting place or a place to sit for a few minutes. We got paninis from a bar close to the fountain one time and the barista asked my friend to meet him at the fountain later, effectively combining two very Roman traditions - going afer young Americans and rendesvousing where there's water.
1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment