Turtle Fountain

The Turtle Fountain, located in the picturesque Piazza Mattei in the Sant’Angelo district of Rome, is one of the city’s hidden gems. Built between 1581 and 1588 according to a design by Giacomo della Porta and executed by the sculptor Taddeo Landini, the fountain is an elegant example of the fusion of Renaissance art and hydraulic engineering. The historical context of the fountain is closely linked to the Mattei family, one of the most influential Roman dynasties of the Renaissance. Muzio Mattei, eager to embellish the area in front of his palace, pressured for the fountain to be built in Piazza Mattei instead of Piazza Giudia, as originally planned. In exchange, the Mattei family committed to paving the square and keeping the fountain clean, emphasizing the importance of patronage in Renaissance Rome. The fountain consists of a square basin with rounded corners, in the center of which stands a pedestal with four marble portasanta shells. These shells support a flask from which water overflows into the lower basin. Above the flask is a second round basin in gray African marble, decorated with cherub heads from whose mouths water flows. The main sculptures of the fountain are the four bronze youths, sculpted by Landini. These young men, depicted in symmetrical and dynamic poses, rest one foot on dolphins whose tails they hold in their hands. Water flows from the dolphins’ mouths into the shells below. The boys have one arm raised, originally to support the dolphins in position, but in the final phase of construction this was not possible due to insufficient water pressure to support all the planned sculptures. To solve the problem, in 1658, during a restoration ordered by Pope Alexander VII, bronze turtles were added, which now give the fountain its name. These small creatures are attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini or Andrea Sacchi and appear as if they are being pushed by the youths towards the edge of the upper basin, filling the void left by the missing dolphins. Over the centuries, the Turtle Fountain has undergone various restorations, including significant ones in 1903 and 1933, funded by the Municipality of Rome. In 1979, the turtles were stolen but later recovered. To preserve the originals, they were transferred to the Capitoline Museums and replaced with copies, ensuring that the historical integrity of the fountain was maintained without exposing the originals to further risks. An interesting anecdote tells that the fountain was built in one night by the Duke Mattei to impress his future father-in-law, who did not want to give him his daughter’s hand in marriage. The next morning, the duke had the bride’s father look out the window to show him the completed work. Immediately after, the duke had the window bricked up so that no one else could enjoy the same spectacle. Although this story is fascinating, it is historically unlikely, as the Mattei palace was built after the fountain, in 1616.