Fontebranda, Medieval fountain in the Contrada of Oca, Siena, Italy

Fontebranda is a medieval fountain in Siena's Terzo di Camollia, near the Porta di Fontebranda. Its brick and travertine facade has three pointed Gothic arches topped by merlons and a row of blind arches with triangular motifs. Four lion-head spouts flank Siena's emblem, and the basins once served drinking, animal watering and washing.

First documented in 1081, the fountain underwent major reconstruction in 1246 under Giovanni di Stefano to serve the wool industry's growing water needs. This renovation established it as a vital supply point for both trade and daily life.

The fountain gave its name to the surrounding district and to Porta di Fontebranda, and Saint Catherine of Siena was born and lived nearby, earning her the title "saint of Fontebranda." The water also served the Arte della Lana wool guild, whose workshops and fulling mills depended on it.

Fontebranda stands in the Vallechiara hollow, a few dozen metres from the Porta di Fontebranda in the Contrada dell'Oca, reached on foot along the steep streets below San Domenico. The basins sit at street level, so the visit is short and needs no stairs; allow time for the climb back up.

The fountain is fed by an ingenious underground canal network that stretches across the countryside and carries water from distant springs through a precise slope of one meter per kilometer. This ancient engineering system has operated without modern pumps or machinery for hundreds of years.