Sarcophagus Fountain on via Corsini

The sarcophagus fountain, located in the recess next to a Torlonia building in via Corsini, dates back to the late 19th century. The water that feeds it comes from the Pio-Marcio aqueduct, inaugurated by Pope Pius IX in 1870, as attested by the small plaque inscribed S.P.Q.R./ ACQUA MARCIA visible on the left corner of the supporting wall.

The basin consists of a strigilized white marble sarcophagus dating back to the 3rd century AD. At its centre there is the imago clipeata of a togated man - underneath which are two masks - flanked by two figures of torchbearers at each end. The sarcophagus rests on two plastered masonry feet, at the edge of a rectangular buffer zone paved with basalt blocks and bordered by a travertine curb. Above the fountain is a 17th-century aedicule depicting the Madonna and Child, Saint Gaetano, and Saint Antonio.

Foto: Turismo Roma