Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the fountain of the Four Rivers, is the most attractive one from the three masterpieces the Piazza Navona. This one, standing in the middle was also made by Bernini, but it is the only one which was completely designed by him. It is said that he got the commision because he had given a silver model to the sister-in-law of the pope.

Pope Innocentius X gave the order to build to Bernini and 1615 he had finished it. The Pope wanted to see it before the other people could see it, but Bernini thought it was awful and said it was not what he had expected. He also apologised because the waterworks did not work. The pope wanted to see it and when he saw the fountain, he was amazed; how beautiful! When he left the place, suddenly the water came into the basin and the surprise was complete. He did not have any regrets he had ordered Bernini, instead of Borromini, his rival.

This fountain is not only a masterpiec of Bernini’s Baroque Art, but it also shows a little bit of the culture, the science and the rivality in this century. The fountain is not for nothing called the fountain of the four rivers; so four Gods with their "rivers", can be found here. The four figures are standing arround a rock, on which also an obelish can be seen. These four statues represent the world, as far it was, known in that cenruty. Europe is represented by the Danutze. The horse also stands for this continent. It is said to be that a race horse was model for Bernini , but some people also say that it was made by Francesco Cecchini. Africa is represented by the nile. There is also an animal; the lion. This God also has a palm and a piece of cloth. Positively said it was for the ignorance of the Romans; they did not know where the sources of the Nile were. Negatively it is because of the church of Borromini. The Nile did not want to see it. The God of South-America represented by the Rio de la Plata with his coins and his armadillo, stands for the wealth of his continent. This statue with the hand raised to the church, is - as the Romans say - afraid of crumbling of it, so leads again to condemnation of Borronini. The fourth and last continent is Asia. The Ganges, the most important river of it, is the only represntative of the continent. There is no animal or legend about it, but this God has a drunk for rowing.

The masterpiece of Bernini is typical for Baroque art. He made it, because of rivality and the church which had been built by Borronimini two years after it (so all legends can not be true) is also a very imposing building, which is also a masterpiece on the Piazza Navona.