The Turtle fountain – in Rome

I was quite prepared to fall in love with Fontana delle Tartarughe or Turtle fountain in Rome, having read about it in the guide books. Well, I was not disappointed.

I think it helped that we made it our first port of call of the day. So, we saw it fresh and without too many other people around. It’s a charming small fountain, tucked away down the backstreets in Piazza Matte. It’s in the area known as the Jewish Ghetto.

It was commissioned by the Mattei family in 1581 and was designed by Giacomo della Porta. However, it was sculpted under his direction by Taddeo Landini.

The tortoises which struggle over the rim of the bowl at the top, were only added a century later, and they make it all the more delightful. Current tortoises are copies as one was stolen and the three remaining were also replaced, with the originals now in the Capitoline museums.

Down the alley leading from the Piazza were several artizan workshops, including one with these lovely marble sculptures in the window. From here it’s a short walk to the market at Campo de’Fiori.

Read more about Rome

St Peter’s Basilica – why do you touch St Peter’s foot?

Small cars in Rome – where the small car is king!

A walk through the historic centre of Rome

You can see all my photos from Rome on Flickr here

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

Never miss an update! – Subscribe to receive our latest articles and newsletter