The Fonte Gaia is a monumental fountain located in the

Piazza del Campo Piazza del Campo is the main piazza, public space of the historic center of Siena, a city in Tuscany, Italy, Its name comes from the Italian language, Italian word ''campanilismo,'' which translates to "local pride" and ''campanile'' "bell tower." ...

in the center of

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

, Italy. The first fountain in the Piazza del Campo was completed in 1342, after hydraulic construction had led water to the site. Underground pipes brought water to the site from 25 kilometers away. Legend holds that the fountain was met with much joy, thus it was given the name ''Gaia'' or joyous. Others suggest the term ''Gaia'' refers to the Latin term for "bride", and that the fountain was dedicated to the ''bride of God'' and patron of Siena, the Virgin Mary. The fountains, plates, and statues conflate Roman matrons' cardinal virtues, with a central

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

of the

Madonna and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

, curiously framed by stories of Genesis. In 1419, the fountain had the present decorative frame constructed by

Jacopo della Quercia Jacopo della Quercia (, ; 20 October 1438), also known as Jacopo di Pietro d'Agnolo di Guarnieri, was an Italian sculptor of the Early Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. Biography Jacopo della Quercia takes hi ...

. In 1858, the original marble panels were replaced by copies sculpted by

Tito Sarrocchi Tito Sarrocchi (5 January 1824 – 1900) was an Italian sculpture, sculptor. Biography Sarrocchi was born at Siena to a humble family, as a boy was orphaned of mother. He had to help support his two sisters and his father, who had become nearl ...

, under the supervision of architect

Giuseppe Partini Giuseppe Partini (Siena, 1842–1895) was an Italian architect, mostly involved in reconstructions in his native Siena. ''Giuseppe Partini (1842-1895): architetto del purismo senese'' (1981) by Maria Cristina Buscioni. He was active with the sc ...

. The side reliefs depict episodes from Genesis: The Creation of Adam and The Flight from the Garden of Eden. The wolves spouting water, representing the mother-wolf of Remus and Romulus, form part of the reconstructed fountain. Two nude female figures once adorned the front two columns, traditionally believed to represent Rea Silvia and Acca Larentia, in celebration of Siena’s supposed links to ancient Rome. These were not added in the reconstruction but can be viewed along with the original panels at a museum at

Santa Maria della Scala Santa Maria della Scala (English: Mary of the Staircase) is a titular church, titular churches of Rome, church in Rome, Italy, located in the Trastevere rione. It is served by friars of the Discalced Carmelite Order. Cardinal Ernest Simoni took p ...

, the old hospital overlooking the Piazza del

Duomo ''Duomo'' (, ) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. The Duomo of Monza, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definitio ...

. The long section of the fountain is adorned at the centre with a Madonna and Child, surrounded by allegories of the Virtues.General description of Fonte Gaia
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Sources

*''La Fonte Gaia di Jacopo della Quercia: Storia e restauro di un capolavoro dell'arte senese'', Sara Dei, Enrico Toti (Editors)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaia, Piazza del Campo, Siena Buildings and structures completed in 1419 1419 sculptures Fountains in Siena Statues of the Madonna and Child Sculptures of Adam and Eve Sculptures of angels Sculptures of wolves Renaissance sculptures Animal sculptures in Italy