Moses Fountain
Along the XVI century the ancient roman hills Quirinale, Viminale and Esquilune were sparsely built.
There were only ancient
ruins, early Christian churches and few private vineyard and allotments.
There were only ancient
ruins, early Christian churches and few private vineyard and allotments.
The popes Gregory XIII and Sixtus the V took a new interest in the area by having villas built there.
The villa Gregory XIII had created on the Quirinal hill was destined to became a full papal residence.
Sixtus V villa on the esquilune hill was planned on a even larger scale, with monumentally designed gardens. It was a casino, a place for short visits, rather than a permanent residence, and will be the first of its kind later on copied and influencing the aristocratic villa's architecture of the following century.
The Villa Montalto Peretti gave a new prestige to the hillside area, that gained a
reputation as rome's new fashionable quarter.
The disadvantage was the lack of water supply.
Sixtus V ordered the plan for a new aqueduct - projected below the
reign of the previous pope- to be started.
An ancient roman aqueduct from the time of Alexander Severus was restored. The pope bought the springs where the aqueduct began twenty kilometers east of rome.
The first architect, Bertolini, rushed the work and was careless with the livelling: when the water began to flowonly a trickle reached Rome.
The pope Sixtus V was furious! Bertolini was dismissed and substituted with Domenico Fontana.
More than two thousand men were employed and the pope frequently inspected the progress and urged the workers for greater efforts.
In October 1589 the aqueduct was completed and named Acqua Felice after the pope.
The Italian poet Torquato Tasso described in poetry this great achievement comparing the pope to the emperors of the ancient times.
A monumental fountain was realized where the aqueduct end and the water was distributed in the city: Moses fountain.