Dublin Core
Title
Fontana della Barcaccia
Description
The Fontana della Barcaccia or the Fountain of the Old Boat was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1627. He chose Pietro Bernini and his son, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, to create a fountain at this location. The duo created a fountain that pays homage to the flood of the Tiber River in 1598 that occurred in Rome. During the flood, the streets were underwater, and the only way to navigate was by boat. Following the flood, a boat was supposedly found in the middle of the square at the Piazza di Spagna. This was the inspiration for the Bernini men to create their fountain. The fountain was finished in 1629,
The fountain itself consists of a boat submerged partially underwater. The boat is filled with water and has two spouts on either side of the boat where water leaks into the basin below. The boat is constantly being refilled with water pumped out of the faces on either side of the boat and with a spring in the middle of the fountain. The water seems to trickle down the whole piece in a way; it is not this grandiose display of high rising water, but rather a smaller flow. The Baroque piece is crafted out of travertine, a type of limestone that is vastly abundant in the area. It is one of the first major works for Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who would eventually go on to design churches, fountains, and larger pieces of art that would become renowned.
The Fontana della Barcaccia is found at the foot of the Spanish Steps. This positioning transforms the fountain into an iconographic piece of Rome. It’s position allows it to be frequented by tourists and popularized. The fountain is very important for the city, as it has such a rich history to it and is recognizable as a piece of Rome. The fountain has been vandalized in 2007 and 2015, but has undergone restoration periods after each vandalization.
The shape of the fountain is important to its creation, as ship fountains have been around for a long period of time. Ships have been used as symbols of not only water, but of life voyages, and additionally ones of hope. While the fountain was not mandated to be one of a ship, the Bernini men chose to create one such fountain. Boats have also been symbols of christianity, from Noah’s Ark to the Navicella. Commissioned by the Pope, the boat was most likely chosen as a symbol of many things, one of the major ones being christianity and the dominance of the church. Being constructed before the Spanish Steps in the same piazza, this fountain was most likely the focal point of the piazza, creating a conversation and enacting a quieter dominance of the region. The Piazza di Spagna was also home to the Spanish embassy, so it is possible that the Fontana della Barcaccia was seen as an homage to the Spanish and their efforts with promoting Catholicism.
The fountain itself consists of a boat submerged partially underwater. The boat is filled with water and has two spouts on either side of the boat where water leaks into the basin below. The boat is constantly being refilled with water pumped out of the faces on either side of the boat and with a spring in the middle of the fountain. The water seems to trickle down the whole piece in a way; it is not this grandiose display of high rising water, but rather a smaller flow. The Baroque piece is crafted out of travertine, a type of limestone that is vastly abundant in the area. It is one of the first major works for Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who would eventually go on to design churches, fountains, and larger pieces of art that would become renowned.
The Fontana della Barcaccia is found at the foot of the Spanish Steps. This positioning transforms the fountain into an iconographic piece of Rome. It’s position allows it to be frequented by tourists and popularized. The fountain is very important for the city, as it has such a rich history to it and is recognizable as a piece of Rome. The fountain has been vandalized in 2007 and 2015, but has undergone restoration periods after each vandalization.
The shape of the fountain is important to its creation, as ship fountains have been around for a long period of time. Ships have been used as symbols of not only water, but of life voyages, and additionally ones of hope. While the fountain was not mandated to be one of a ship, the Bernini men chose to create one such fountain. Boats have also been symbols of christianity, from Noah’s Ark to the Navicella. Commissioned by the Pope, the boat was most likely chosen as a symbol of many things, one of the major ones being christianity and the dominance of the church. Being constructed before the Spanish Steps in the same piazza, this fountain was most likely the focal point of the piazza, creating a conversation and enacting a quieter dominance of the region. The Piazza di Spagna was also home to the Spanish embassy, so it is possible that the Fontana della Barcaccia was seen as an homage to the Spanish and their efforts with promoting Catholicism.
Creator
Pietro Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Source
The Fountains of Rome, 1986. https://fod-infobase-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=2150.
Hibbard, Howard, and Irma Jaffe. “Bernini’s Barcaccia.” The Burlington Magazine 106, no. 733 (1964): 159–75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/874272.
Pulvers, Marvin. Roman Fountains: 2000 Fountains in Rome: A Complete Collection. Rome, Italy: L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2002.
Respighi, Ottorino, Tadaaki Otaka, and Patrick Thomas. CD. The Fountains of Rome. BBC Music Magazine, n.d.
Hibbard, Howard, and Irma Jaffe. “Bernini’s Barcaccia.” The Burlington Magazine 106, no. 733 (1964): 159–75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/874272.
Pulvers, Marvin. Roman Fountains: 2000 Fountains in Rome: A Complete Collection. Rome, Italy: L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2002.
Respighi, Ottorino, Tadaaki Otaka, and Patrick Thomas. CD. The Fountains of Rome. BBC Music Magazine, n.d.
Publisher
Pope Urban VIII
Date
1629
Contributor
Jacob Carnes
Format
Travertine
Type
Fountain
Coverage
Rome, Italy