Embellishing Piazza Novona with a Fountain
Given that on 27 April 1647 the Pope was at St. Sebastian to see a gigantic broken obelisk lying on the ground amongst the ruins of the Naumachia of Claudius [= Circus of Maxentius] to have it restored and erected in the centre of Piazza Navona as the centerpiece of the Four Rivers Fountain, thus imitating Sixtus V, we can be certain that with the Pope satisfied with the obelisk and the decision to erect it having been made, the architects’ designs for the fountain can be dated to around the middle of that same year, although as I mentioned earlier that Innocent had already thought of the idea two years earlier. Despite being excluded from the competition, Bernini definitely wasn’t going to miss such a great opportunity as the embellishment of Rome’s biggest square with a fountain: in fact, he was so cunning that he managed to displace his greatest rival and get himself commissioned to do the job. Here is an account of the matter from a pretty reliable witness who may have been the Duke d’Este’s ambassador to the Roman court: Most Serene Prince, Cav. Bernino has made a most beautiful model for the fountain that is to be built in Piazza Navona, which imitates the world’s four greatest rivers and forms quite a high Edifice on which the Spire destined for it [the fountain] will be placed and which will need a splendid pedestal if it is to be visible because by nature it is short and slender, so that without help it would make little impact in such a large and magnificent Square. This invention has touched the Pope’s heart and declaring himself little satisfied with Borromino, who acted as architect for the building of St. John Lateran, [the Pope] believes he will avail himself of Bernino in future. Others attribute His Beatitude’s affection for this Gentleman to a more subtle stratagem since he [Bernini], who is supremely astute and serious and knows the wishes of the Lady Olimpia, has, with singular and marvellous cunning made a model of the said fountain in silver and has made a present of it to Her Excellency who, satisfied as much by the material as by the structure and approach [to the project], has brazenly recommended him to Innocent so that Borromino has fallen [out of favour] and been replaced by him [Bernini].
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