Piazza Barberini & Fontana del Tritone (Barberini Square & Triton Fountain), Rome

Piazza Barberini takes its name from one of Rome's most powerful Renaissance-era families, who claimed the square as part of their residential palace from 1625 onwards (the palace now houses the National Gallery of Ancient Art). Notably, one of the Barberini sons later ascended to become Pope Urban VIII, known for his controversial persecution of Galileo Galilei, the inventor of the telescope and advocate of the heliocentric model.

Despite this historical context, Pope Urban VIII had an ambition to embellish Rome with several fountains. In 1642, he entrusted Gian Lorenzo Bernini with the task of designing and constructing the fountain located in Barberini Square, now counted among Bernini's masterpieces. Bernini closely adhered to the Pope's instructions, drawing inspiration from a passage in Book I of Ovid's renowned work, "Metamorphoses." The passage described Triton, a mythical sea god, commanding the waters to recede after the Deluge, ushering in a sense of order and peace.

Crafted from travertine, a type of limestone formed by hot springs, the fountain portrays the majestic Triton as a merman, kneeling atop the tails of four dolphins. He holds a conch shell to his lips, as if playing it like a trumpet.

The central base of the fountain features four intertwined dolphins, encircling the Papal Tiara and crossed keys, while below, the Barberini family's heraldic symbol of bees can be observed.

This fountain stands out as the first freestanding thematic fountain to be sculpted outside of private gardens. During that time, public fountains were typically plain and unremarkable. However, Pope Urban VIII desired something more striking outside his family's residence. The Triton Fountain immediately imparted a sense of grandeur to the entire square, serving as a beacon for those approaching from the city center.