Da Ponte fountain, Baroque fountain in Prešeren Square, Koper, Slovenia

Da Ponte Fountain stands on Prešeren Square in Koper, its superstructure shaped like a bridge over an octagonal basin ringed by fifteen pilasters. Four mascarons at the base of the arch spout water into the pool. The bridge form recalls the surname of the noble Da Ponte family, one of the fountain's benefactors.

The fountain was built in 1666 under Podestà Lorenzo Da Ponte and served as the endpoint of an aqueduct system bringing water to the city. It supplied Koper with fresh water for several centuries before it was decommissioned in 1898.

The bridge-shaped superstructure recalls the surname of the Da Ponte family, whose member, the city podestà, funded the fountain. Fifteen pilasters around the octagonal basin carry the carved coats of arms of the local noble families who paid for its construction. The four mascarons at the base of the arch spout the water into the basin.

The fountain stands on Prešeren Square in the old town, a short walk from the waterfront and Tito Square. The square was repaved in 1990, so the ground around the basin is level and open. Approach on foot through the pedestrian streets of the centre; the fountain is visible from the square's edge.

The name comes from Lorenzo Da Ponte, the Venetian Podestà who commissioned the fountain, and his family coat of arms featured a bridge symbol. This bridge motif subtly connects the structure to Venetian architecture and highlights the close ties between Koper and Venice.