Fountains and fontanelle as urban monuments in modern Europe

Bogna Ludwig

doi:10.37190/arc200301

Abstract

The paper presents the use of fountains as monuments in modern cities. It shows the genesis of this form. It extracts the main formal-iconographic types and characterizes their spread. These were the formal and iconographic types of fountains, but they also had the commemorative reasons. Neptune’s fountains were to commemorate the country’s marine superiority or the power of authority in general. In the Baroque, depiction of Neptune with Triton or Triton himself took on a new meaning – the symbol of peace, reconciliation and God’s mercy on the world. The Fountains of the Four Rivers became a symbol of temporal and eternal triumph. Representations of ancient gods and heroes embodied strength and victory over adversity in the city’s history. The city’s fountains symbolized the existence, duration and the affluent functioning of the city. They honored the founders and the benefactors and often expressed the loyalty to the state.

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