San Paolo alle Tre Fontane, Renaissance church in Ardeatino district, Rome, Italy.

San Paolo alle Tre Fontane is a Renaissance church in the Ardeatino district of Rome, built on a site of early Christian devotion. The building features three monumental structures that mark the location associated with an important event in Christian tradition.

The church was rebuilt in 1599 by architect Giacomo della Porta under the commission of Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini on the site of an earlier structure. The reconstruction was part of a broader effort to restore and enhance Christian holy sites during that period.

The name comes from the legend that Paul's severed head bounced three times, and a spring rose at each spot. The three niche fountains, set at different levels and framed by black porphyry columns, are topped by shell basins and marble heads of the apostle. Two stolen marble heads were recovered in 1997 and returned to the abbey by Vittorio Sgarbi.

The building sits at Via delle Acque Salvie 1 and is part of the Tre Fontane Abbey complex, which is easy to access from the city. Visitors should allow time to explore the grounds, as the site offers multiple spaces and a quiet outdoor area.

The three springs were sealed in 1950 because pollution made the water unsafe to drink, not because they dried up. Each is now marked by a niche with black porphyry columns and a shell-shaped basin, set at three different levels that follow the slope of the ancient ground.