Historic and Steeped in Symbolism
Historic Fontana Maggiore
The Fontana Maggiore represents the masterpiece of Perugia and it is one of the most interesting and beautiful fountains of the 13th century anywhere. The Fontana Maggiore means major fountain in Italian. It stands in the center of the square of Perugia, Italy and is considered to be one of the great masterpieces fountains in existence. It was designed and carried out by the sculptors, Giovanni Pisano and his father, Nicola during the 13th Century. This was the period in history when the great Renaissance was just beginning to evolve and fountains were not only popular with the people, they were also a very important contribution to the arts.
The Renaissance in Italy began a new phase of fountain design in which sculpture became prominent. A common type was a sequence of circular or polygonal basins on a vertical support topped by a fountain figure from which water spouted. Even the great Leonardo da Vinci designed fountains. During the following period of the Italian Baroque period, fountains became complex compositions of basins, sculpture, and water display. The Fontana Maggoire has stood the test of time in taking its place as one of the finest examples of fountains during this time.
Fontana Maggoire is steeped in symbolization
The Fountana Maggoire was originally a symbol for the city of Perugia representing freedom from past Roman domination. The fountain was also a celebration for the completion of the aqueducts that brought water to the city from mountain springs 5 miles away.
The design of Fontana Maggoire
The fountain is made up of two polygonal basins in white and pink stone where one is placed above the other. This structure is surmounted by a bronze basin with a group of three bronze nymphs holding an urn, from where the water gushes. Probably later in date, four griffins that have since been dismounted and are now housed in the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria once topped this group.
The upper polygonal basin stands on 24 small columns, each surmounted by a statue. The statues represent characters from the mythological tale of the founding of Perugia. Solomon and other biblical characters are also featured, including Moses, John the Baptist, the Archangel Michael and the Archpriest Melchisedech. There is also a personification of Rome, the Church, Theology and the saints Peter and Paul.
The lower basin comprises twenty five sections, each of which is divided into two panels. The sculpted panels are describing episodes from the Old Testament, classical myth, Aesop's fables and the twelve months of the year. The work of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano represents an extraordinary composural harmony of all of the elements within the Fontana Maggoirre.
A Poem About Fontana Maggoire
Christopher Whyte, a contemporary Scottish poet born in Glasgow in 1952 wrote a poem about the 13th century Fontana Maggoire. It was originally in Gaelic verse. It begins:
I have bound the waters
in a perfect circle of marble,
the color of snow and roses,
a day gate to bridle and control
the upsurge from the deep,
the eternal, anarchic leaping of dark wells.
The city of Perugia enjoys a high quality of life. It has new parking lots to accommodate the thousands of visitors that come each year to visit the Fonatana Maggoire, the museums and to sample the famous chocolate and Umbria Jazz Festival the city is known for.