Fontana Luminosa

The Fontana Luminosa marks a threshold between L'Aquila's historic centre and its twentieth-century expansion. Two bronze women hold the conca, a traditional Abruzzese household basin, above a circular basin of white steps; the sculptural group is by Nicola D'Antino.

Why it matters

The Ministry of Culture dates the fountain to 1933, when it was built as part of the urban expansion known as the Grande Aquila. Engineer Bernardino Valentini and sculptor Nicola D'Antino designed the composition. The fountain forms a threshold between the medieval city and its twentieth-century expansion. Following the 2009 earthquake, restoration returned it to the city in December 2016.

What to notice

The two bronze figures hold a conca abruzzese, a large basin traditionally made of wood or copper. The circular basin stands above broad white steps, and large stone spheres close two sides of the composition. D'Antino's sculptural group makes a domestic object the centre of a civic monument.

Context and history

The fountain was built during L'Aquila's early twentieth-century expansion beyond its medieval walls. The Grande Aquila plan gave the new square a civic identity and set D'Antino's work in dialogue with the older Fontana Vecchia in Piazza Duomo. The piazza has long served as an arrival point into the city, making the fountain a prominent part of L'Aquila's civic landscape. The earthquake of 6 April 2009 left the structure precarious. A two-phase repair by the Ministry and Soprintendenza began in 2013 and included structural work, re-anchoring the bronze group, stone cleaning and rebuilding the water and lighting systems. The city received the fountain back on 23 December 2016.