Fontana del Calamo, Renaissance fountain in Corso Mazzini, Ancona, Italy

The Fontana del Calamo is a Renaissance fountain in Ancona, made of a long series of thirteen panels separated by volutes, each centred on a water-spouting mask. Twelve masks are bronze and the central one is stone, depicting satyrs and fauns. The central mask is topped by a bas-relief of the Cavaliere all'assalto, the emblem of the city.

A fountain already stood here in Greek times and was absorbed into the city walls in the Middle Ages. Demolished in 1503, it was rebuilt between 1559 and 1560 to a design by Pellegrino Tibaldi, executed by craftsmen from Recanati.

The relief above the central stone mask shows the Cavaliere all'assalto, the mounted knight charging that serves as Ancona's city emblem. The twelve flanking masks are bronze, the central one stone, and all depict satyrs and fauns. An old tradition holds that a traveller who drinks from the fountain will return to the city.

The fountain sits in a public square that is easy to reach on foot and open to visitors at any time. It is worth spending time observing the details, particularly the bronze masks and the carved relief work.

The name Calamo derives from the Greek word kalamos, referring to reeds that once grew in this swampy area of Ancona. Beneath the fountain lies an underground cistern accessible through an entrance on the right side, showing how water was once collected and stored here.