The Barberini Triton
The Barberini Triton: The Most Beautiful Fountain in the World
Reluctantly leaving the pleasant gardens of Palazzo Barberini, we now walk down that short stretch of Via Quattro Fontane (Sixtus V's old "Strada Felice") that will take us to one of the many places in Rome that are always chaotic: Piazza Barberini. Here, in the center, suffocated by huge advertisements for drinks and panettone, in the midst of a sea of cars, and the taxis that seem always to park there, the most beautiful fountain in the world is trying to find a little more room to breathe. It is, of course, "the Barberini Triton."
Except for the Romans -- who have far more things on their mind than stopping to look at the street vendors, let alone the works of art that almost litter the pavements of the city they know so little about -- I have no idea how many "lovers of Rome" or even how many experts have really paused here to examine this fountain; to look at the fluid lines of its graceful pool and observe the wonderful Triton sitting on the huge shell. I say this not to criticize, but because of the simple fact that, following in the footsteps of Baldinucci's error in 1683, almost everything written since that time -- at least right up to 1953 -- has stated that there are three dolphins holding up that shell, when in fact there are, and always have been, four. Count them yourself!
History of the Barberini Triton
Let us take a look at the time this fountain was built and anything that may have served as a model for Bernini. It has been written often enough and is generally agreed that the Triton dates from 1640, though a book published in 1955 puts forward a subtle argument for 1637. In my opinion, they are both wrong.
In fact, leaving aside the documents in the archives, an excerpt from Baglione (1642) states: "And thanks to Most Holy Urban [VIII] having greatly increased the sources of the Aqua Felice, a beautiful display is being made now with the part of this in the square in front of their Palace and they are building an empty fountain." So, in 1642, work on the fountain in Piazza Barberini had hardly begun.
Baglione's evidence at least shows that the Triton is no earlier than that date, but there is another piece of evidence, in the form of an original manuscript in the hand of Urban VIII, which I found in the State Archives and whose first few lines I quote here; "Being desirous of making some recompense and remuneration to Cav. Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the Aqua Felice in Rome for the extraordinary and unusual trouble he has taken to introduce the extra water to the said Aqua Felice; and for the workmanship of manufacture and decoration of the fountain newly built in the square called de Barberini" This manuscript is dated 19 August 1643. Construction had been made possible because Gian Lorenzo had added another 300 ounces to Sixtus V's old Aqua Felice and this new water supply had reached Rome in December 1642.
As for the recompense for his "extraordinary trouble," I do not think it seems out of place to tell you that it did not take long for Bernini to change the gift of one ounce of that same Aqua Felice he had been granted by Urban VIII into hard cash. In May and June 1644, he deposited the original manuscript with a notary and signed the deed for the sale of half an ounce of water to each of two private citizens for which he received a total of 400 scudi. The City Authorities used to sell the same water at a maximum price of 200 scudi per ounce.
Apart from this precious manuscript, I have so far been unable to find any of the usual documents recording payments to the stonecutters who built this fountain, but they would not add anything of great importance to what we already know. By way of compensation, this work includes the first publication of a delightful little sketch, possibly by Bernini himself, found in the Lanciani Collection held by the Library of Archaeology and Art History in Rome.
