Fontana del Pianto, Monumental fountain in Piazza delle Cinque Scole, Rome, Italy.
Fontana del Pianto is a fountain featuring an elongated basin on a stepped base in Rome. A circular upper basin with four gorgon head water spouts crowns the structure.
Pope Gregory XIII commissioned architect Giacomo della Porta to build the fountain between 1591 and 1593, using marble from the Temple of Serapis. In 1930, it was moved to its current location in Piazza delle Cinque Scole under Pope Pius XI.
The name comes from five synagogues that once stood nearby, defining the Jewish Ghetto community. For centuries, it served as a gathering place and water source for the local residents.
The fountain sits in an open plaza and is freely accessible at all times. White bricks still mark the original location on Via Santa Maria del Pianto where it once stood.
The original decoration included dragons and a Menorah, symbolizing both the Boncompagni family and Judaism. These symbols were later removed under Pope Innocent X, reflecting the complicated history of the site.
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