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Quattro Fontane
Four Fontane is a crossroads of Rome between the ancient Via Porta Pia (now Via del Quirinale-Via XX Settembre) and Via Felice (the route that from Trinità dei Monti leads to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, today via Sistina-via Quattro Fontane- via A.Depretis) is characterized by the presence at the four corners of four fountains, which give the name at the crossroads, the homonymous street and the Church of San Carlo at the Quattro Fontane, which Francesco Borromini built between 1638 and 1663 (sometimes called San Carlino). Unique in Rome, from the intersection you can see in the distance the obelisks of Santa Maria Maggiore (south-east), Trinità dei Monti (northwest) and Quirinale (south-west), as well as the michelangiolesca internal façade of Porta Pia (northeast). The four travertine works (but in fact it is more correct to speak of a single work divided into four parts) were made between 1588 and 1593, using rectangular niches of different size, specially made in the corners of the palaces. The subjects, all different, are however grouped in similar pairs: two bearded male figures, allegories of the Tiber and the Arno, facing two females, respectively, representing Diana and Juno. The first two symbolize Rome and Florence, while those of Diana and Juno are a symbol of Loyalty and Fortitude respectively. All the figures are lying on one side, with the water pouring into small semi-circular tanks. Tevere and Juno have a richly decorated background (in the first group obviously there is the lupa), while the one of the Arno is much smaller, with a simple relief of vegetation from which a lion appears, and Diana does not possess it at all, but it is provided with some characteristic features of Pope Sisto V's insignia (the star and the lion's head sculpted on the tub and the trimonition on which the figure rests on the elbow). The design of the fountains of Tiber, Arno and Juno is perhaps Domenico Fontana (but there are many doubts about the attribution) that had designed the way. The fourth one, Diana's turn to the north, is attributed to Pietro da Cortona. The achievements were entrusted to unknown sculptors, but certainly of little artistic value, given the mediocrity of the results. The intersection on which the fountains are insisted is today the connecting point of three different districts: Monti, Trevi and Castro Pretorio.
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