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All Italy Rome Fontana dell'Acqua Felice

Fontana dell'Acqua Felice

A monumental fountain in Rome features a large statue of Moses that has been criticized for centuries.

Rome, Italy

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Fontana dell’Acqua Felice   Miguel Hermoso Cuesta
Fontana dell’Acqua Felice   Architas
Fontana dell’Acqua Felice   Jastrow
A closer look at Moses.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A detail of the sculpture on the left.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A detail of the sculpture on the right.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Rome - Piazza San Bernardo - Fontaine dell’Acqua Felice   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Fontana dell’Acqua Felice   Miguel Hermoso Cuesta
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The Fontana dell'Acqua Felice or Fountain of Moses is a large monumental fountain in Rome, which marks the end of the Acqua Felice aqueduct.

Completed during the 1580s, the inauguration of this aqueduct was a historic event as it was the first new aqueduct constructed in Rome in many centuries. The name derives from the birth name of Pope Sixtus V, Felice Peretti, with the word "felice" also meaning "happy" or "lucky" in Italian.

To celebrate this event, a monumental fountain was constructed resembling a Roman triumphal arch. The fountain features a large inscription dedicated to Sixtus V at the top, while the bottom half is composed of three arches. The two lateral arches contain small statues, while the central one is dominated by a large statue of Moses. Here, the Pope who brought water to Rome with the new aqueduct is compared to the legendary biblical figure. 

The statue of Moses has been heavily criticized over time for many reasons. The proportions were deemed wrong, people questioned Moses's appearance, and the size of the statue also came into question. 

Related Tags

Aqueducts Architecture Statues History & Culture Biblical
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Added By

StepYoshi

Edited By

philoursmars, rbenn250, Fred Cherrygarden

  • philoursmars
  • rbenn250
  • Fred Cherrygarden

Published

November 5, 2020

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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_dell%27Acqua_Felice
  • https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_dell%27Acqua_Felice
Fontana dell'Acqua Felice
Piazza di S. Bernardo
Rome, 00185
Italy
41.904421, 12.494438
Get Directions

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