The fountain in front of the Pantheon is a beautiful baroque work of art topped by an Egyptian obelisk that is more than three thousand years old.
Designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1571, this fountain – comprising four dolphins, and originally fed by the Aqua Virgo aqueduct – was completed in 1576 by Filippo Barigioni. It stands in the Piazza della Rotonda, a baroque counterpoint to the magnificent ancient Pantheon.
In 1711, Pope Clement XI had it restored, and then topped by an Egyptian obelisk from the reign of Ramses II that was already more than a thousand years old when it was taken from Egypt by the emperor Domitian.
The steps leading up to the fountain are a popular meeting place for locals and tourists alike, in the shadow of one of Rome’s most impressive monuments.
There’s also a famous fontanella for drinking water to be found just next to the ornamental fountain.
