Fontana del Mascherone, 17th-century fountain in Piazza Campello, Spoleto, Italy.
Fontana del Mascherone is a stone fountain on Piazza Campello in Spoleto from the 17th century, whose main feature is a decorative mask with human and feline traits topped by a laurel crown. Water flows from this mask into three stacked basins that structure the entire composition.
The fountain was built in 1608 by painter Emanuele Crise and replaced a medieval water source near the Church of San Cesario. It belongs to a period when new public fountains were being built throughout Spoleto to improve the city's water supply.
The name comes from the stone mask that forms its face and has drawn visitors for centuries. The inscription BIBE VIATOR on a nearby smaller fountain is an ancient Latin invitation for travelers to drink and refresh themselves at this spot.
The fountain stands on a central square and is easy to reach, with clear water that flows regularly. Visitors can explore the surrounding area and reach several important buildings in the city from this location.
A wrought-iron fence was installed in 1817 to prevent mountain livestock from drinking, but it was later removed and reused to protect the apse of the Church of San Gregorio. This repurposing shows how the city adapted its resources over the centuries.
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