Piazza del Popolo & Nicosia
The inauguration of the restored aqueduct carrying the Aqua Vergine took place on 30 August 1570 in the presence of Pope Pius V, his usual entourage and a crowd of cheering people. The water source for the fountain had previously also been known as Aqua di Salone because new supplies had been introduced from the area of that name near Via Tiburtina. Now, however, the "Congregation of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Cardinals for the conveyance of water from Salone" changed its name to the "Congregation for the Fountains", a title that encompassed the whole of the extensive program that was to be undertaken once enough water for the fountain had been secured for at least the lower part of the city. With a speed which, to tell the truth, was most unusual, on 4 November 1570, barely two months after the official inauguration of the fountain, the Congregation met in the residence of its president, Cardinal Giovanni Ricci da Montepulciano whose house on the Pincio Hill would, I might add, later become the Villa Medici.
Series of Fountains Supplied by the Aqua Vergine
The meeting decided to build a whole series of fountains supplied by the Aqua Vergine in the following places: "Piazza del Popolo at the place where the three roads meet; the site of the aqueduct below Trinity Church; San Rocco, for the use of the port; Piazza di Sciarra or Colonna; Santi Apostoli; San Marco; Piazza de' Altieri; the Minerva; the Rotonda; the Customs House; Piazza Agoni (i.e. Piazza Navona) - two, one at the top and one at the bottom; Campo de' Fiori; Piazza Giudea; Piazza Montanara; Monte Giordano if the water can be brought there; Piazza di Ponte; Via Giulia - one in the middle". In the following pages we will look at the fountains in the list, except for those that no longer exist (port of Ripetta, San Marco, Monte Giordano) and the four that were never built, i.e. in Piazza degli Altieri, Piazza di Ponte (Sant' Angelo), Santi Apostoli and the one in Piazza di Santa Maria sopra Minerva. As to the latter, a century or so later - before the enchanting little elephant and its obelisk were erected - Alexander VII did have the idea of creating a fountain there, using the same obelisk.
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