Fontana della Fortuna

The Fontana della Fortuna in Fano's Piazza XX Settembre combines a broad marble basin with a figure of the goddess Fortune. It gives sculptural form to an identity rooted in the city's ancient name, Fanum Fortunae.

Why it matters

The fountain connects Renaissance and Baroque civic decoration with the memory of the ancient cult of Fortuna. Its position in the main square places that association within the architectural setting of public life.

What to notice

The goddess's veil and hair appear to move in different directions, a distinctive detail of the composition. The polychrome marble basin belongs to the later redesign. The figure above it is a copy; Donnino Ambrosi's original bronze is preserved in the civic museum.

Context and history

An earlier basin preceded the present monument. Ambrosi cast the statue in 1593, but disagreement over its nudity initially kept it away from the fountain. It was installed in 1611. Ludovico Torresini then reshaped the fountain between 1697 and 1699, creating the broad basin that defines its later appearance. The removal of the original bronze to museum care added a further conservation chapter.