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The Barcaccia Fountain (Fontana della Barcaccia) is located in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, at the Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti). It is neither pompous nor majestic, but it attracts a lot of locals and guests of the city.
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History of Barcaccia Fountain creation
The Barcaccia Fountain in Rome was being built from 1627 to 1629 according to the architectural plan of Pietro Bernini, father of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.
The work of art was built in memory of the flood in 1598 when the water rose above 20 meters above sea level. The Tiber overflowed its unfortified shores and flooded the historic center of Rome. When the water receded, a launch was found in the Piazza di Spagna.
In 1623, by orer of Pope Urban VIII (Maffeo Barberini), the restoration of the Acqua Vergine aqueduct began to supply water to new areas of the capital. The pontiff was impressed by the flood, and as part of the reconstruction, he ordered the installation of a fountain in the form of a boat on Piazza di Spagna. The restoration of the water supply system and the construction of the fountain were commissioned by Pietro Bernini. The architect’s son helped him to work on the fountain, and most probably, he is the one who completed the work after the death of his father in 1629.
The sculptor compensated for the fountain’s insufficient water pressure by a half-submerged launch composition. The Barcaccia fountain’s base is below the square’s level, while the boat is raised. Such a construction provides the necessary difference in water levels, and the jets slowly flow out of a kind of ignition holes in the boat. The monument is made of white marble and decorated in the Baroque style with the distinctive signs of the Barberini family coat of arms – suns, and bees.
The Italian word “Barcaccia” means longboat – a small vessel with gentle edges and a flat bottom for the transport of goods. In Rome of the XVI-XVII centuries, wine barrels were transported on such ships.
Nowadays
Now, as in the 17th century, the fountain is supplied with the waters of the ancient aqueduct Aqua Virgo, which also supplies the Trevi (Fontana di Trevi) and Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) fountains with water. Tourists and locals do not hesitate to quench their thirst with the purest cold water from this source.
In 2014, the restoration, which lasted for about a year, of the masterpiece by Bernini was completed. The fountain of Barcaccia or, as tourists affectionately call it, “The Boat”, shone with its pristine brilliance and whiteness. On February 19, 2015, fans of the Dutch football team Feyenoord slightly damaged the fountain during the riots before the game against Italian Roma in the 1/16 of the Europa League (the match ended in a draw).
How to get there
You can reach the Spanish Square by metro, red line A – to the ‘Spagna’ station. Or same line, but go to ‘Barberini’ station at Piazza Barberini and walk from there on foot.