225 Blog 5

For this journal entry, I will discuss the historical background of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, or “Fountain of the Four Rivers” in the famous Piazza Navona in Rome.
The Fountain of the Four Rivers was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in about 1651. The fountain was created in Baroque style, and it consists of four gods in each corner, representing the four major rivers of the world known at that time. These four figures create the base for a great obelisk. The fountain was commissioned by Pope Innocent X. However, when Innocent X set up the competition for which sculptor would design the fountain, he excluded Bernini from competing because many Romans were in opposition of Bernini.
A wealthy aristocrat, who was Bernini’s friend as well as Innocent X’s nephew-in-law, convinced Bernini to design a model for the fountain and have it secretly placed in a room that the pope walked through daily. When Innocent X walked through the room, he was said to have stopped in his tracks in ecstasy. After admiring the sculpture, he exclaimed, “This is a trick. It will be necessary to employ Bernini in spite of those who do not wish it, for he who desires not to use Bernini’s designs, must take care not to see them.”
The fountain was unveiled to the public on June 12, 1651. Before this, the fountain had been covered by scaffolding with large veils over top so that no one could witness its construction. When the fountain was revealed, the reactions of the Roman population were mixed. Many were in awe at its spectacular design and praised its beauty. But many of the people were very upset. The fountain had been paid for and constructed during and shortly after the severe famine of 1646-1648. People complained, posting notes on the fountain and the nearby statue in the Piazza Pasquino saying “We do not want obelisks and Fountains, it is bread we want.” Innocent X had many of these protesters arrested, and he also had street vendors expelled from the Piazza Navona because he felt that they took away from the beauty of the square.
Regardless of initial reactions, the Piazza Navona remains one of the most beautiful and popular places in Rome. The area is always crowded with vendors, tourists, and Italian locals. And standing in the center is one of Bernini’s greatest works, The Fountain of the Four Rivers.