If you walk along the crenellated wall that divides the port from the city, built at the behest of Pope Urban VIII in 1630, midway along the path you will find yourself in front of the monumental fountain, the work of Luigi Van Wittel, known as Vanvitelli, sculpted in 1743, commissioned by Pope Benedict XIV. The fountain, called “Il Mascherone”, stands out with the whiteness of its travertine on the brick curtain of the walls and represents the head of an old faun who, with a frowning expression, throws water from his mouth into the basin below. The mask is placed inside an “edicola”, reachable via an elaborate staircase starting from the street level.
Before the modern urban planning works of the port, with the consequent widening of the road, the fountain was close to the shore, so much so that its steps were lapped by the water, as can be seen from the ancient prints. The creation of the “water exhibition” represented a a pivotal change for the population, who was able to make use of a very important supply point.
Now look for the maritime allusions on the fountain that the artist, famous for the project of the Royal Palace of Caserta, wanted to include: the mooring rings for boats and the bollards, which you can also spot along the lower part of the wall, as proof of where the sea once reached.
The Vanvitelli Fountain
