This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
Fountain of the Tritons in Piazza Bocca della Verità: a pope's tribute to his own family
The Fountain of the Tritons stands in Piazza Bocca della Verità, in the heart of the ancient Forum Boarium in Rome. Commissioned by Pope Clement XI in 1717, it is one of those fountains that tourists brush past without pausing to look — everyone rushes to the Mouth of Truth, just a few yards away. And they miss a detail well worth the detour: the basin is octagonal, with concave sides, designed to reproduce the eight-pointed star of the Albani family coat of arms — the pope's family.
The architect inspired by Bernini
The design is by Carlo Francesco Bizzaccheri, who drew inspiration from Bernini's Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini. The first stone was laid on August 11, 1717. Two kneeling tritons — sculpted by Francesco Moratti — hold up a large oyster-shaped shell serving as a basin. On the outer rim there are two more heraldic coats of arms of the Albani family.
What has changed over the centuries
The original design included four mascarons on the edges of the basin. These were removed in the 19th century, perhaps because there was not enough water to feed them. The same fate befell the drinking trough built alongside it for livestock heading to the Roman Forum: it was dismantled in the early 20th century during the construction of the Tiber embankment walls, and relocated to Lungotevere Aventino.
Practical info
The fountain is located in Piazza Bocca della Verità, in Rome.
