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The Fountain of Pius IX in Sezze: the story of a monument, coats of arms and wounds of war
In the heart of Sezze, in the centre of Piazza de Magistris, stands the Fountain of Pius IX. Commissioned by the pope in 1866, it contains a wealth of local history. Not many people know that its water flows by gravity from the distant Sant'Angelo spring, in the territory of Bassiano.
Cardinal’s coats of arms and wounds of war
The architect Tito Armellino designed the fountain with an octagonal base, shell-shaped basins and coats of arms bearing the cardinal's hat. But its current form also tells of wounds. During the Second World War, the local community donated the sturdy iron railing that once surrounded it to the homeland.
Changes in the post-war years
The transformations did not end there. In the 1950s, the four small lateral fountains that poured water into the shells were also removed. Today, in their place, only traces remain on the stone — a silent memory of how the fountain once looked, when it had a more elaborate play of water.
The fountain is a public monument, always visible and freely accessible at the centre of Piazza de Magistris.
