Page 11 - monument

FONTANA DEI TRITONI
Pope Clement XI, in 1610, to honor the last aqueduct built, "Acqua Paola", had this fountain built.
Its location attracted several criticisms: it was not central and above all it was an area of frequent flooding due to the floods of the Tiber. The basin has the shape of an eight-pointed star, the heraldic symbol of the pontiff's family.
The rocks were built on the basis of the success of that of the four rivers (in Piaz- za Navona) and are surmounted by two tritons supporting two gigantic oysters with heraldic coats of arms on both sides.
A drinking trough had been placed next to the Tritons fountain, which always bears the coat of arms of the Albani (the family of Pope Clement XI), which served both as a drinking trough for the animals and as a washhouse to preserve the in- tegrity of the monumental one, with little success as evidenced in the photo!
During the refurbishment of the square at the beginning of the century, it was restored and moved to the Lungotevere 150 meters further south as you can see in the second photo.