What's In a Name?
It will help you to understand the origin of the name of this very modest fountain if I refer here to something written by Fanucci in 1602: "Although there have always been Jews who have converted to the Catholic Faith, there has nevertheless been no one proper place where they could be received and receive instruction, but they have always had to go here and there." As this did not suit the compassion of Rome, head of the Christian Religion which, "like a loving mother must open her heart to all comers who desire to suckle on her pure milk," in 1540 Paul III decided to bring the male "converts" together at S. Giovanni de' Mercato, at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. At the same time, he "erected another Monastery in the Monti district, close to Torre de' Conti, to accommodate the girls and women who want to convert to the Holy Catholic Faith and to take instruction in the articles of the Holy Christian Religion; then, being instructed and firm in the said Faith, they get themselves baptized and, when the women have married Christians, they are allowed to leave with their husbands." Indeed, "Converts' Fountain" located at the Piazza Madonna dei Monti served as a place of hope for Rome's religious roamers. Certainly there were many at the monastery who took comfort sitting next to the tranquil falling waters of this peaceful fountain.
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