Fontana delle Naiadi
| This
beautiful 19th century square till the WWII was an official entrance to
the city and its principal center of representation. Starting from the
middle of the 17th century in the zone of Terme di Diocleziano (Baths of
Diocletian), popularly denominated "Termini", a meat market
took place every Thursday and Friday, transferred here from Campo
Vaccino, and in the month of May a fair of horses and donkeys occurred
here as well. At present the square bears an official name "Piazza
della Repubblica", but Romans call it Piazza dell'Esedra, the name
indicating the exedra of the Baths of Diocletian (the building on the
opposite site of the square). The semicircular porticoed fronts of the
palaces on either side of the entrance to the piazza follow the line of
the exedra and were built in 1896-1902 by G.Koch.
In the center is the Fontana delle Naiadi (Fountain of the Naiads). Its basin is by Alessandro Guerrieri (1901); four bronze groups of nymphs (a nymph of lakes, a nymph of rivers, a nymph of oceans and a nymph of underground waters) and the central Glaucus are by M.Rutelli (1901-1911). This fountain should be considered as the "mostra" (show) of water Acqua Marcia brought to Rome with the name "Acqua Pia Antica Marcia" by Pius IX and unveiled on September 10, 1870. |
