Fontana della Maremma assetata, fountain in Cecina, Italy

The Fontana della Maremma assetata stands in Piazza Guerrazzi in Cecina: a square-plan monument of Rapolano travertine blocks, part rough and part worked, stacked into a pyramid. At its apex the Carrara marble Hercules sits, symbol of man's hard labour; about halfway up the marble nude of Cecina drinks from a spring issuing from the rock, set on a diagonal axis to the summit. Bronze Medusas, putti and the town coat of arms complete it, with water jets integral to the effect.

The fountain was completed in 1919 after years of planning and marked a turning point for Cecina, as a reliable public water supply finally became available to residents. The project was part of a larger aqueduct program that brought clean drinking water to the city and greatly improved the living conditions for its people.

The name "Maremma assetata" (thirsty Maremma) recalls the water scarcity that plagued Cecina until the early 20th century. The fountain replaced an older public source that had served residents until then. Its figures carry allegorical meaning: Hercules stands for hard human labour, while the nude woman personifies Cecina drinking from a spring in the rock.

The fountain is located on Piazza Guerrazzi in the heart of Cecina and is easily reached on foot from the town center. The square is flat and at ground level, making it accessible to visitors of all abilities who wish to reach it and view or drink the water.

The contract of 1909 specified Carrara marble for the two nudes, bronze for the four Medusas, the allegorical putti and the town coat of arms, and Rapolano travertine for everything else. The sculptor Ermindo di Pietro Vignali was paid a flat 15,000 lire. Work stopped for the First World War and the fountain was inaugurated in April 1919.