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Fountain of the Moor in Piazza Navona: Bernini, a Moor, and a rejected statue
The Fontana del Moro (Fountain of the Moor) stands at the southern end of Piazza Navona, facing Palazzo Pamphilj. It is one of the three monumental fountains in the square fed by the Acqua Vergine. The portasanta marble basin was created in 1575 by Giacomo della Porta under Gregory XIII, decorated with tritons, dragons, and masks created by various sculptors. These were all replaced in 1874 by copies by Luigi Amici. Some of the originals are currently preserved at Villa Borghese.
Bernini's Moor
In 1651, after completing the Fountain of the Four Rivers, Pope Innocent X commissioned Bernini to renovate this fountain as well. Bernini removed the steps and balustrade, expanded the basin to ground level, and designed the central statue, carved in 1654 by Giannantonio Mari and installed in 1655. The figure depicts a powerful man gripping a dolphin between his legs: water gushes from the sea creature's mouth, following Bernini’s signature logic of providing a narrative justification for every jet of water. The first design—a group featuring dolphins supporting a shell—was rejected as it did not please Olimpia Maidalchini, the Pope's sister-in-law. According to tradition, Bernini modelled the Moor's face on the statue of Pasquin, one of Rome's famous "talking statues".
