A fountain, brought from the Piazza Giudia, sits on the exactly opposite the old Cenci-Bolognetti townhouse, on the slopes of the serene Cenci hill. Even though it is very poor condition, the traces of its nobility are still evident.
Featuring an irregular shaped platform that consist of two steps, there is a lovely raised pool placed above, echoing the outline of the base, without the sharp corners. The creator is Master Jacopa della Porta, and he has, once again, succeeded in creating a fountain that is both innovative with a lovely form. There is a baluster in the center that resembles the one in Piazza Campitelli, and along the outside of the basin, the water pours from the grotesque mouths of the contorted masks.
Muzio Mattei managed to block the scheme by the congregation of fountains to place the Tortoise fountain in the Piazza Guidia, which would be supplied by the Aqua Vergine. And instead had it constructed right in front of his own home, leaving the Piazza Guidia to be transferred to a new list, that would be supplied by the Aqua Felice. Jacopo entrusted his designs to mason Pietro Gucci, who created the beautiful raised pool, from junk retrieved from the colonnade near the façade of Nero’s house. The same site which supplied old travertine to the fountain in the Piazza del Popolo.
Read on about the The Gateway to the Ghetto Fountain