A papal commission
In 1648 Pope Innocent X (Giovanni Battista Pamphilj) announced a competition for a monumental fountain at the centre of Piazza Navona. He did not invite Gian Lorenzo Bernini: relations between the two were strained, and Bernini had been the favourite of the previous pope, Urban VIII, now fallen from grace.
Bernini nonetheless found a way around the obstacle. According to tradition, he had a silver model of his proposal sent to the Pamphilj palace. Cardinal Pamphilj showed it to his sister-in-law Olimpia Maidalchini — the most influential woman at the papal court — who showed it to the Pope. Innocent X, struck by it, exclaimed: "We must employ Bernini, despite those who do not wish it!"
The contract was awarded in 1648, and the fountain was inaugurated on 12 June 1651.
The composition
The fountain's structure is of extraordinary originality. A hollow travertine rock — pierced by openings, caves and interior passages — rises from the centre of an octagonal basin. The rock is topped by a 16.5-metre Egyptian obelisk.
At the four corners of the rock sit allegorical personifications of the four great rivers of four continents:
- Nile (Africa) — with veiled head: at the time, the Nile's source was unknown
- Ganges (Asia) — with a long oar, symbolising the river's navigability
- Danube (Europe) — touching the papal coat of arms
- Río de la Plata (Americas) — with coins at its feet, symbolising the riches of the New World
From the openings in the rock emerge exotic animals: a lion, a horse, a dragon, a palm tree, an agave — geographic and allegorical symbols of distant cultures.
The obelisk
The Pamphilj Obelisk at the centre of the fountain is one of Rome's thirteen obelisks. It is a Roman artefact of the 1st–2nd centuries AD, inspired by Egyptian originals but produced in Italy: it bears Egyptian-language inscriptions — dedicated to Domitian, Vespasian and Titus — but was manufactured in Rome. It lay broken in the ancient Circus of Maxentius on the Via Appia; Innocent X had it transported to the square.
The dove with an olive branch at the top of the obelisk is the symbol of the Pamphilj family. The entire fountain is, essentially, a dynastic monument to pontifical glory.
The political symbolism
The Fountain of the Four Rivers is not only a work of art: it is a political manifesto. The four rivers represent the four then-known continents, signifying the universal reach of the papacy. The obelisk, symbol of Egyptian eternity, is crowned by the Christian dove: the Church triumphs over the ancient world. All of this is placed at the centre of the square that was the heart of 17th-century Rome.
The legend of Bernini and Borromini
From the 18th century onwards, the story circulated that the figure of the Río de la Plata raises its arm in terror before the nearby facade of Sant'Agnese in Agone by Borromini, as if fearing the building might collapse. The same story claims that the Nile hides its face to avoid looking at his eternal rival's church.
It is a compelling legend, but false: the fountain was completed in 1651, while Borromini did not begin the facade of Sant'Agnese until 1653. Bernini could not have been mocking a facade that did not yet exist.
The sculptural quality
Bernini directed a workshop of collaborators; he did not personally carve all the details. The principal collaborators were:
- Giacomo Antonio Fancelli — Nile
- Francesco Baratta — Río de la Plata
- Giovanni Rinaldi — Ganges
- Claude Poussin — Danube
Bernini's hand is recognisable in the overall design, in the dynamics of the pierced rock and in the global compositional concept.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Nile's head veiled? Because in the 17th century the sources of the Nile were still unknown to Europeans. The veil refers to geographic mystery, not to any rivalry with Borromini.
Did Bernini personally sculpt the fountain? Bernini designed and directed the project, but the sculpture was executed by several collaborators. The allegorical concept and architectural structure are his.
Where was the obelisk before? It lay in three pieces in the Circus of Maxentius on the Via Appia Antica. Innocent X had it restored and transported to Piazza Navona.
Article no. 142 — TIER S — MON-08 Piazza Navona Type: HISTORICAL Words: ~800