Fontana della terrina, Public fountain at Chiesa Nuova, Rome, Italy

Fontana della Terrina is a fountain now set in Piazza dell'Orologio, in the Parione district. Its oval outer basin lies below street level, reached by two flights of four steps, and holds a white marble oval basin with a bulging profile, flared rim, ring-shaped handles and a central rose. A domed travertine cover with a central knob, added in 1622, gives it the look of a soup tureen.

Giacomo Della Porta designed the fountain, built in 1590 under Pope Gregory XIII, who died before seeing it finished. It stood at the centre of Campo de' Fiori until 1899, when it was removed to make way for Ettore Ferrari's monument to Giordano Bruno. After about 25 years in municipal storage, the original was placed in front of the Chiesa Nuova in 1924; in 2026 it was moved to nearby Piazza dell'Orologio.

The name "Terrina" (soup tureen) came only years after the fountain was built: in 1622 a travertine dome cover with a central knob was placed on the inner basin to stop the market waste thrown into it, giving it that shape. The unknown sculptor carved around the knob: "AMA DIO E NON FALLIRE. FA DEL BENE E LASSA DIRE. MDCXXII".

The fountain now stands in Piazza dell'Orologio, having been moved there in 2026 for the Metro station works; it sits in a square basin below street level, reached by steps. Look for it near the Chiesa Nuova side of the small piazza rather than on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

An inscription carved on the basin reads 'Love God and do not fail, do good and let them speak', a phrase added in the 1600s. It is rare to find a moral message written directly onto a working street fountain, making this one stand out from other public water points in the city.