The Fountain of the Porter (Facchino) is one of the famous “talking statues” of Rome and is thought to have been carved by Jacopo del Conte, at the end of the 16th century.
Fountain of the Porter Rome
The Fountain of the Porter (Fontana del Facchino, in Italian) stands in the Via Lata, a side street of the Via del Corso, near Piazza Venezia in the centre of Rome.
Although it was constructed around 1580, it only became a “talking statue” in the 17th century.
Its original position was on the facade of the Palazzo Grifoni in the Via del Corso. This palazzo was the property of Jacopo del Ponte himself. It was moved to its present spot, on the facade of the Palazzo De Carolis Simonetti, in 1872.
There are various theories as to its symbolism. It is thought to either be dedicated to the water-sellers or to the wine carriers of the time, by reproducing the likeness of one Abbondio Rizzio, who was famous both for the quantity of wine he could carry and for the amount he was able to consume. The water-sellers were called acquaroli.
