The Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini
Piazza Navona
Rome Italy
2016

For thousands of years, the fountains of Rome have been an essential part of life in the Eternal City. Before indoor plumbing made its way into local homes, fountains were the primary means in which Romans gathered fresh water. The tradition of fountains survived millennia of Roman history, and they’re still an essential part of the city. And one of the most iconic is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, in the heart of Piazza Navona.

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The Four Rivers Fountains sits right in the middle of Piazza Navona, in the Centro Storico of Rome, work of Bernini’s genius. The impressive fountain faces the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, which was constructed by Borromini, Bernini’s eternal rival!
Hence, in the middle of the Baroque era, Pope Innocenzo X commissioned Bernini the construction of a fountain to give the square a new amazing aspect! On June 12th 1651 the Four Rivers Fountain was completed and showed to the public. The work left the public astonished!

The Four colossal figures seated in contrasting poses represent the four great rivers: the Nile, the Ganges, the Rio de la Plata and the Danube. On top of the fountain rises a bronze dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit and emblem of Pope Innocenzo X patron of the work. The Fountain clearly intended to celebrate the supremacy of the Papacy over the world, represented by the four rivers crossing the continents known at the time: Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
In the middle of the fountain there’s an ancient obelisk brought there from the Circus of Maxentius along the ancient Appian Way.

The the head of the sculpture representing the Nile river is covered with a veil since the sources of the river were unknown. On the left there’s a palm tree and you can clearly spot the head of lion drinking from the fountain.

The Ganges is holding an oar to symbolize the navigability of the river.
The Danube can be recognized from the crown of flowers and from the horse rising from the stone.

Eventually, the Rio del la Plata shows a terrified expression. Some says that the expression is caused by the snake laying on a rock, cherishing a treasure of coins. Other say that the Rio de la Plata is covering his face from the Church of Sant’Agnese built by Borromini because Bernini thought it was ugly.

Commissioned by Pope Innocent X Pamphilj (1644-1655) to adorn the square which would have magnified the greatness of his pontificate, it is one of the greatest masterpieces by Gian Lorenzo Bernini . The artist received the commission for its creation after presenting a silver model of the new fountain and, for its execution, he made use of a large group of artists and workers under his direct control: the result is a masterful fusion of architecture and sculpture , capable of expressing movement in every sculptural detail.
The fountain is imagined as a large travertine cliff that supports the granite obelisk, coming from the Circus of Maxentius on the ancient Appian Way. On the corners of the cliff are the monumental marble statues of the four rivers representing the then known continents, also identified by the vegetation and animals sculpted alongside: the Danube by Antonio Ercole Raggi for Europe, with the horse; Claude Poussin 's Ganges for Asia, with oar and dragon; Giacomo Antonio Fancelli's Nile for Africa, with the veiled head (an allusion to the unknown sources) associated with the lion and the palm ; the Rio de la Plataby Francesco Baratta for America with one arm raised (perhaps to shelter from the sun's rays) and an armadillo next to it. On the upper part of the cliff there are two large marble coats of arms of the pope's family with a dove carrying an olive branch in its beak. The dove itself, in bronze, is placed at the top of the obelisk.
Even if the fountain was completed before the church of Sant'Agnese was built, the legend attributes to the gestures of the statues meanings dictated by the rivalry between Bernini and Borromini : the Nile would have a veiled head so as not to see Borromini's mistakes in the construction of the church, the Rio della Plata would raise its arm to prevent the facade from falling. In response, the statue of the saint at the base of the bell tower on the right would ensure the keeping of the church with his hand on her chest.
The fountain was inaugurated on June 12, 1651 , arousing amazement and wonder in the pope and in the observers, as reported by the chronicles of the time and the travellers' stories.