The fountain of the Taureen is a hidden fountain, towards the road in front of the Chiesa Nuova. It is half sunken in marble-clad oblong pool in the ground. It finds its name from it appearance resembling a soup dish. There are four large steps that lead to four jets of water that are set in-between handles carved in stone. This fountain has only been here since 1924, when it was moved from the storerooms of the roman museums. The reason for the regulation was because it was the same date as the monument to Giordano Bruno was erected in the center of Piazza Campo dei Fiori at the very spot the Fountain congregation had chosen for the fountain, as well as were the artist of the fountain, Jacopo della Porta had laced the fountain in 1590. This fountain is Harley characteristic of a Jacopo fountain, using travertine stone instead of white marble for the pool. If you look very closely you can see the tiny carved letters on the lid of the fountain, that read, “Love God without fail. Do good and let others do the talking. MDCXXII”. It is dated 1622, this date is the clue that this fountain is actually not a della Porta because he had already been dead for 20 years, or the lid was an addition to the base of the fountain, and the original fountain constructed for the Campo dei Fiori was not covered.
There are also manuscripts that discuss the fountain. Two 17th century historians, Theodor Ameyden and Theodor Sprenger give accounts of the fountain. Ameyden says, "The 4th fountain for the Aqua Vergine is in Campo dei Fiore, dressed with four bronze dolphins in a large marble shell". While Sprenger writes, "Nor is the basin of the fountain in Campo di Flora, decorated with four bronze dolphins, unworthy of note". Finally a map drawn by Maggi shows the fountain in Campo dei Fiori without a lid, as well as the dolphin figures, recognized and described like those of Ameyden and Sprenger. The same map has the hollow area around the basin, although it was not rectangular as it is today. The four bronze dolphins are most likely from the eight that were casted for the Fountain of the Tortoises, were only four were used.
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