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The Great Fountain of Ronciglione: the Fountain Everyone Believed Was by Vignola
In front of the Palazzo Comunale of Ronciglione stands the Fontana Grande, a work known to all for its sea horses carved in hard sandstone. For centuries, the local people attributed it to Vignola, the celebrated architect of the nearby Palazzo Farnese at Caprarola. It is a deeply rooted belief, but the actual story is quite different.
The Legends of the Golden Horses
Ancient legends have long circulated around the fountain basin. It is said that the sea horses once had solid gold bridles, stolen during the French invasion of 1799. Another popular tale speaks of four smaller basins, used as watering troughs for animals, which once surrounded it. No traces remain of them today.
The Hidden Signature and the Cardinal's Wishes
The truth is written in the documents. It was Cardinal Alessandro Farnese who commissioned the fountain in 1566, but he did not turn to his trusted architect. The true author is in fact Antonio Gentili da Faenza, a skilled sculptor whose touch can be seen in the refined details. The attribution to Vignola was almost inevitable, given his omnipresence throughout the Farnese duchy.
The fountain is located in Piazza del Comune and is a public monument, always accessible.
