Italian Fountains

From the first time I spied La Fontana di Trevi in Roma as a child, I was impassioned by the use of fountains in Italia by the Romans and the Etruscans before them. Splashing around on a hot August day in the waters below giant mer-men gods and their untamed glorious equine beasts, this young ragazzo certainly felt humbled by the sheer magnitude of the whole scene. Water was always a treasured resource in the Roman Empire, as attested by the thousands of kilometers of aqueduct that snaked their way throughout central Italy. Mastery over supply of water translated to security and power. That reverence for this most basic, essential fluid filtered down through the centuries to modern Italian culture. As a child, in my family’s hometown of Rionero in Vulture, in the province of Potenza (Basilicata), I recall with vivid detail, the daily walk down to “La Fontana dei Morti”, which was part drinking fountain, and part “lavatoio” where many women of the village would go to wash their clothing and linens, others half-bathing, in a great communal cleansing. I also marveled at the drinking spigots scattered all around the paese, out of which percolated the most cold, crisp and sweet water you’ve ever tasted (my favorite was the tree shaped fontana in “La Villa” of Rionero, the great walking garden). Where this perfectly chilled and tasty acqua came from, and where it went after it sloshed down a granite drain, I always wondered. It was so dependable, though, the water that flowed in an unending stream from those brass spigots, and there was comfort in knowing it would always be there, waiting for me to come partake, or to simply refresh my face after a stroll through the piazza. Clearly, fountains are a cornerstone in Italian culture. There are some that stand freely, as round, or perhaps diamond shaped vessels… decorated with wonderful fleur de lis. Others hang on or are built into ancient stone walls, water streaming out of some whimsical or mythical creature’s mouth. Still others incorporate magnificent Roman gods and heroes, sculpted from a single marble block, and built to stand the test of time. Another variation on the fountain, the holy water font, is typically a receptacle made of ceramic, glass or steel that holds blessed water and is sometimes adorned with a plaster fresco of La Madonna, Gesù Cristo, or some beloved patron saint of bread, olives and grapes. A virtually unchanged symbol of ancient times, “la Fontana”, in all its ornate majesty or quaint simplicity, remains a centerpiece today in the homes and gardens of many Italian families. Perhaps this is a response to our most visceral need to surround ourselves with this eau de vie, because where there is water, there is life.