Fontana di Piazza Garibaldi

At the centre of Piazza Garibaldi in Sulmona, the Fontana di Piazza Garibaldi was commissioned in 1821 from the Pescocostanzo artisan Felice di Cicco and completed at the end of 1823. Its stacked basins and octagonal rim make it a focal point of the historic square.

Why it matters

Plans for a central fountain in the market square date to the mid-17th century, but were not carried out. In 1821 the town council commissioned Felice di Cicco; the fountain was completed two years later. Its construction links Sulmona's public water system with the stoneworking tradition of Pescocostanzo.

What to notice

An octagonal basin, 3.2 metres across, surrounds a tufa formation supporting a carved column and two stacked basins. Water issues from the basins and the outer rim. The fountain's present arrangement dates to 1933, when a wider octagonal basin was built around the original and the earlier stepped risers were removed.

Context and history

The fountain was made using pietra dello staffo, a slab once used for selling fish in the square and also known as the pietra della vergogna. Piazza Garibaldi was formerly called Piazza del Mercato. The medieval aqueduct runs along the square's western edge and historically supplied the city's fountains.