The Fonte Gaia is one of the main points of interest in the Piazza del Campo in Siena. The fountain, which was cocompleted in 1342, gets its water from the hills north of the city. It is located across the square from the Palazzo Pubblico.
A brief history of the Fonte Gaia in Siena
The architect of the Fonte Gaia was Giacomo Vanni di Ugolino. His main problem was the last stretch to the fountain. He solved this difficulty by means of creating underground canals called bottini. It took him eight years altogether, but the endeavour ended up earning him the nickname Dell’Acqua (“of the Water”).
When the water finally reached the fountain, the festivities were so exuberant that the fountain got the name Gaia (meaning “happy”).
Not much is known about what the fountain looked like when it was built. Between 1409 and 1419, the original version was replaced by the current one. The sculptor responsible for this version was Jacopo della Quercia.
In 1858, della Quercia’s fountain was replaced by a copy. The original is now in the Museum of Santa Maria della Scala. The copy was made by Tito Sarrocchi.
Fonte Gaia, Siena
Sources
- Photos are my own, unless otherwise indicated.