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Bernini's Fountain in Castel Gandolfo: Four Centuries of History in Piazza della Libertà
The fountain in Piazza della Libertà in Castel Gandolfo bears Bernini's name, but its history is more complicated. Made of travertine, with a curvilinear basin, a central shaft, and a chalice supported by four winged cherubs, it has stood in Castel Gandolfo's main square for approximately four centuries.
One Fountain, Three Architects
The original design is almost certainly the work of Carlo Maderno, who from 1624 oversaw the transformation of the existing castle into a Papal Palace for Urban VIII. The plan is virtually identical to that Maderno created for Piazza Scossacavalli in Rome. In 1630, a payment of 110 scudi is recorded, made to stonecutter Clemente Volpe for the travertine for the fountain. Bernini only came into the picture thirty years later.
Relocation and the Cherubs
In 1660, Bernini moved the fountain to the center of the square to make room for the Church of San Tommaso da Villanova (St Thomas of Villanova), which is the reason for the incorrect attribution. The 18th-century restoration under Benedict XIV added the four Borrominian-style winged cherubs to the “chalice”. The papal and Colonna coats of arms are still visible on the four sides of the “stem”.
