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Fountain of the Cupid in Villa Doria Pamphilj: the Cupid that is no longer there
Located in the Theater Garden of Villa Doria Pamphilj, Rome, the Fontana del Putto tells a story of recovery, beauty, and loss. It was built in 1855 by architect Andrea Busiri Vici, who fitted together repurposed elements that had survived the fighting of 1849, when battles between French troops and the defenders of the Roman Republic devastated parts of the villa.
The structure
The base is a large, nearly sunken basin protected by an iron railing. In the centre is a small circular wall with twelve pillars, once topped by stone lilies—the heraldic emblem of the Pamphilj family—which were destroyed by vandals overnight in 2020. Water once flowed from sculpted masks of Bacchus and the Gorgon into small shells. Higher up, four fauns support the upper basin.
The stolen Cupid
At the summit stood a 17th-century winged Cupid, likely originating from the Nettuno area and part of the Pamphilj collection. Together with the nearby Fountain of Venus, it formed a diptych on love: she representing the generative force, and he symbolising sublimated desire. Unfortunately, just days after the villa was opened to the public, the statue was stolen. Today, only the Cupid's feet remain on the pedestal.
