Morosini Fountain, Venetian fountain in central Heraklion, Greece

The Morosini Fountain stands on Eleftherios Venizelos Square, called Lions Square, in central Heraklion. Its octagonal basin has eight lobes, each carved with reliefs of tritons, dolphins and nymphs and bearing the coats of arms of the doge, the duke, the councillors and Morosini. Four lions on a tall eight-sided pedestal pour water from their mouths into a marble basin above the lobes. Green glass panels in the floor reveal the old underground aqueduct.

The fountain was inaugurated on 25 April 1628, the feast of Saint Mark, then patron of the city, and was named after Francesco Morosini, who promoted the project. It was built to counter a water shortage by bringing water from Mount Giouchtas, 15 km away, through an aqueduct and clay pipes; the Morosini aqueduct still stands near the Knossos ruins. During the Ottoman siege the water supply was cut, and the Venetians built the Priuli fountain as an alternative; the city fell in 1669.

The fountain occupies Lions Square, where residents regularly stop by nearby cafes and restaurants to spend time together. The location serves as a social hub where you can observe how people move through the city and gather in public space.

You can view the original Venetian aqueduct foundations through four illuminated viewing ports positioned beneath the fountain structure. This allows you to examine the historical water system while standing at ground level around the monument.

A statue of Poseidon originally crowned the fountain but was destroyed during the Ottoman period, leaving only an empty base at the top. This missing sculpture is a reminder of the site's complex past and lost artwork.