The Fountains of Rome

The Fontana della Barcaccia

Map
The Fontana della Barcaccia, Piazza di Spagna, Rome
Fontana della Barcaccia
The Fontana della Barcaccia (1626-9) enjoys one of the best backdrops of any fountain in Rome, sitting, as it does, at the foot of the Spanish Steps.

​The fountain was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII (r. 1623-44), but the jury is still out as to the exact roles played by Pietro Bernini (1562-1629) and his much more famous son, Gianlorenzo (1598-1680), in its design.

The motif of a waterlogged and sinking boat was conceived in response to the low head of water, which put paid to the creation of eye-catching jets or sprays. The Romans immediately nicknamed the fountain la Barcaccia. Barca is Italian for a boat and Barcaccia translates as something like 'rotten old tub'. 
Sunface, Fontana della Barcaccia, Rome.
Sunface
The fountain is emblazoned with the coat of arms of Urban VIII as well as his personal device of a radiant sun. ​