Fountain in Piazza dei Quiriti

In 1924, a competition was launched to build 5 fountains in newly built neighborhoods. For the fountain in Piazza dei Quiriti, in the Prati district, the city administration chose the project by the Trieste sculptor Attilio Selva, quite famous at the time.

Made of travertine and inspired by Renaissance and Baroque fountains, the work consists of three round basins of decreasing size. In the first large circular basin, an elaborate baluster is adorned with leaves or petals relief and with a series of small tanks. Above, a convex basin with a wide rim simulates the corolla of a flower. In its center, four female naked figures are seated on blocks in a crouched and tensed position and support the upper basin with their arms and heads. The fountain is topped with a pine-cone. On the head of each woman there is a round cushion that recalls those used to transport jugs of water.

The nudity and pose of the four female figures provoked such indignation that the inauguration had to be delayed several months. The dispute involved the Governor of Rome, the sculptor and the Catholic associations. The result was that the work became immediately famous.