Walking Tour of Piazza Navona in Rome

Fontana del Moro - Fountain of the Moor

Continuing on to the southern end of Piazza Navona we find the Fontana del Moro, designed by Giacomo della Porto and erected in 1575. The fountain has statues of four Tritons and the basin is made of special antique rose marble. In 1654, Bernini carved the central figure, a muscular Triton riding a dolphin, that resembles a "Moor". Thus, the fountain is called the Fountain of the Moor. During a restoration in 1874, the original sculptures were moved to the Villa Borghese and substitute copies were made and are still on the fountain.