Fontana Masini

The Fontana Masini stands at the centre of Piazza del Popolo in Cesena. Carved in Istrian limestone by Domenico da Montevecchio and his assistants between 1586 and 1590, it follows a design by Francesco Masini and is one of the city’s recognised symbols.

Why it matters

The fountain is a major work of Mannerist design in Cesena’s principal square. Its sculpted display front combines architectural forms and papal heraldry, while its construction followed hydraulic works begun under Tommaso Laureti in 1581–83.

What to notice

Each of the fountain’s four faces has fluted pilaster strips supporting a broken curved tympanum. The coats of arms identify Pope Sixtus V, cardinal legates Guido Ferreri and Domenico Pinelli, and vice-legate Antonio Maria Galli. At the corners, four volute herms rise into tritons who send water through conch shells. The Istrian limestone structure stands on three steps; its Mannerist architectural sculpture is contemporary with Bologna’s Neptune fountain, though the decorative treatment is distinct.

Context and history

Malatesta Novello had earlier proposed a fountain for Piazza Maggiore. Under papal government, Tommaso Laureti designed and began the hydraulic works in 1581–83. Francesco Masini supplied the design for the fountain’s display front in 1588, and Montevecchio and his assistants carved it between 1586 and 1590. Water first flowed in 1591.