Browse Items (149 total)

This is the facade of the mother church for the Jesuit Order, constructed in 16th century Rome.

Ceiling fresco by Pietro da Cortona in the Sala di Apollo within the Palazzo Pitti

The painting is an entirely autograph work by Guido Reni. It is a work of exceptional importance not only on account of its composition, which being especially pleasing, was immediately well received, but also for the extraordinarily high quality of…

The Trevi Fountain was originally commissioned in 1629 by Pope Urban VIII to replace an older fountain on the same spot. This fountain was commissioned to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, yet was left unfinished as Pope Urban VIII died in 1644. The fountain was…

The Fontana delle Tartarughe is famous for the turtles that adorn the fountain. Yet these were not a part of the original design, but added later into the fountain. With water from the Acqua Vergine, the fountain was made to bring water to the…

Located alongside the Fontana del Tritone in the Piazza Barberini, the Fontana delle Api is a subtler fountain. Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, the fountain was completed in 1644 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, only a year after the Fontana del Tritone.…

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…

This fountain, built in 1612, celebrates the great engineering feat of Roman aqueducts. Marking the end of the Acqua Paola, the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola celebrates Paul V and his impact on the area. Restoring the existing aqueduct, Pope Paul V…

The Fontana dell’Acqua Felice was revolutionary at its creation. It marks the terminal point of the Acqua Felice, restored by Pope Sixtus V. Originally the Acqua Alessandrina, the aqueduct was renamed by Pope Sixtus V after its restoration. At the…

During the papacies of Pope Pius IV (1559-1565) and Gregory XIII (1575-1585) it was clear that the current water supply, which was primarily from Acqua Vergine (Rome's oldest functioning aqueduct), was insufficient to support expanding Rome's growing…