Pope Clement X Coat of Arms on a fountain, St. Peter's Square , Vatican City - Coats of Arms on Waymarking.com

Although the two fountains in the Square of St. Peter's are exactly alike they are not of precisely the same date. The conception of the design belongs to Carlo Maderno, who executed the fountain on the right of the approach to the basilica for Pope Paul V (Borghese, 16o5-1621), while the fountain to the left was copied from this for Pope Clement X (Altieri, 1670-1676), some sixty years later. Clement's courtiers had observed that whenever His Holiness walked in the direction of Paul V's great fountain his eyes continually turned toward it. At length Clement ordered his architect, Carlo Fontana, nephew of Carlo Maderno, to make an exact copy of Maderno's work and to erect it on the south side of the obelisk.

The double fountain not only enhances the magnificence of the entire scene, but so changes it by introducing the additional element of balance that Clement X's order for the second fountain was in reality an order for a new composition.

The coat of arms cut upon the octagonal support of the upper basins and half hidden and obliterated by the falling water is, on the right-hand fountain, that of the Borghese family (the crowned eagle above the dragon); and on the left-hand fountain, that of the Altieri family, an inverted pyramid of six stars.

Bearer of Coat of Arms: Ecclesiastical (prelates and their seats) Full name of the bearer: Pope Clement X Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?: on the octagonal support of the upper basins of the left fountain standing on the Square of St. Peter's in Vatican City Material / Design: Stone Blazon (heraldic description): an inverted pyramid of six stars. Address: Square of St. Peter's (Piazza San Pietro) Vatican City Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link] Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): Not listed

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