The Fountain of the 'Soup Tureen'

Map

Fountain of the 'Soup Tureen' (Fontana della Terrina)

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In Piazza della Chiesa Nuova stands one of Rome's more curious fountains. It is known as the Fontana della Terrina, on account of its resemblance to a soup tureen!

The fountain dates back to the reign of Pope Gregory XIII (r. 1572-85). The marble basin didn't originally have a lid; this was only added in 1622 to stop horses drinking from the fountain.

The design of the fountain was criticised, which prompted the addition of the tiny inscription: 'fa del bene e lassa dire' ('Do good deeds and let others talk'). 

The Fontana della Terrina once stood in the centre of Campo de' Fiori, but it was dismantled in 1889 to make way for the monument to Giordano Bruno. In 1925 the fountain was reassembled in its present position.