Vanvitelli Fountain - Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 05.580 E 011° 47.424
32T E 730766 N 4663870
The Vanvitelli Fountain is located on the port side of the city walls of Civitavecchia along a promenade at opposite the Calata della Rocca.
Waymark Code: WMV047
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 01/31/2017
Views: 2
In 1740, Pope Benedict XIV commissioned sculptor Luigi Vanvitelli to construct a travertine fountain in the center of the wall separating the port from the city of Civitavecchia. The fountain, at 22' long and 30' high exceeds the height of the walls. At the bottom center of the fountain is the sculpted face of an elderly faun. Water flows out of the mouth into a basin below.
Above the fountain is a marble dado which is inscribed in Latin:
BENEDICTVS XIV
PONTIFEX MAXIMVS
PORTUM ANTIQVITATE
ET OPPORTVNITATE CLARVM
LIBERVM DIXIT
ET SALVBRIVM AQVARVM
FONTE DITAVIT
ANNO DOMINI
MDCCXLIII
PONTIFIC. III
A smaller inscription in the lower right hand corner of the dado indicates that the Lions Clubs of Civitavecchia and S. Marinella restored the fountain in 1967.