Fontana delle Sette cannelle, fontana di Pitigliano

The Fontana delle Sette Cannelle stands on the southern side of Piazza della Repubblica in Pitigliano, closing that end of the square. It is built against the head of the Medici Aqueduct: five arches in tufa blocks, the central one round and taller, the two on each side with lowered arches, topped by five pinnacles. The spouts, carved with animal heads in different periods and styles, pour into a basin below.

The fountain was built in 1545 by Gianfrancesco Orsini to complete the town's water supply system. The Medici Aqueduct project that ended at this fountain was eventually finished about a century later.

The name "Sette Cannelle" dates from around the mid-18th century, when all seven spouts were finally open; before then the monument served as the town's public fountain. The spouts carry sculpted animal heads made in different periods and styles, so no two are alike.

The fountain sits in the center of Piazza della Repubblica, directly in front of the Palazzo Orsini and is easy to reach on foot. An adjacent terrace offers broad views over the Val Meleta valley with its gorges and forests below.

The seven spouts only all flowed from the mid-18th century, which is when the fountain took its present name. Each spout is carved with a different animal head, made in different periods and styles, so no two are alike.