Fontana del Facchino
Fontana del Facchino
4
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One of Rome's unique and scenic fountains from the 16th century.
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The area
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Neighbourhood: Navona / Pantheon / Campo de’ Fiori
With three of Rome’s most beloved piazzas within a five-minute walk of each other, the Navona/Pantheon/Campo area may be the prettiest and most picturesque area of the city. Join the beautiful throngs hanging out in cafes, boutiques, art galleries, and wine bars, or peek at a neighbourhood museum or monument. If you want nonstop movida, the streets here are busy with chic bicyclists and Vespa drivers, street vendors, merchants, and locals. There is no rhyme or reason to its winding streets and there's something to see around every corner, so take pleasure in a spontaneous wander.
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4.0
46 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
19
Average
15
Poor
2
Terrible
0
dapper777
Monaco65,346 contributions
Apr 2020 • Friends
The bust represents an "acquarolo", improperly called porter.. it is NOT a 'facchino'.
The "acquaroli" were people who, at night, went to fill barrels and small barrels of water and who ",during the day, passed from house to house to offer it in exchange for a modest fee, thus saving people the effort of going to refuel.
In Rome, in fact, from 537, the year in which the Goths destroyed the aqueducts to take the city, until the end of the sixteenth century, when they were restored, there was a shortage of water and the Romans were forced to supply themselves to the Tiber or fountains.
The water-vendors were going to fill up at night probably to avoid paying the taxes.
The "acquaroli" were people who, at night, went to fill barrels and small barrels of water and who ",during the day, passed from house to house to offer it in exchange for a modest fee, thus saving people the effort of going to refuel.
In Rome, in fact, from 537, the year in which the Goths destroyed the aqueducts to take the city, until the end of the sixteenth century, when they were restored, there was a shortage of water and the Romans were forced to supply themselves to the Tiber or fountains.
The water-vendors were going to fill up at night probably to avoid paying the taxes.
Written 12 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malgorzata
12,085 contributions
May 2019
The Facchino is one of the most famous "talking statues" of Rome. It presents a water-seller in his characteristic dress. According to others, this statue is dedicated to the wine carriers . It has a little ruined face, due to vandals who throwing stones on it. A small and hidden fountain, simple and charming.
Written 20 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom11,162 contributions
Jun 2022
This is one of many traditional drinking fountains scattered around Rome. The water is clean, fresh and perfectly safe for drinking. It’s icy cold because it’s piped straight from the hills outside the city by a centuries-old aqueduct.
On hot days, we kept an eye out for them and loved being able to re-fill our water bottles and splash our faces to cool down.
This fountain looks a little sad. It features a forlorn figure with a beret-like cap and a rather battered face, carrying a large cask or barrel.
He was an ‘acquailo’ or water-carrier, an important job in the 16th century when there was no reliable or easy supply of fresh water for households. The water-carriers filled their casks with water from the Tiber or from the fountains and carted it around to sell like a door-to-door salesman.
You can find this fountain on the side of the Banco di Roma, on a side street off Via del Corso.
According to tradition, he was called Abbondio Rizio, based on an inscription located near the fountain but which has since been lost.
He is also known as one of the city’s 6 ‘talking statues’. Since the 16th century, Romans would post political and satirical comments on the statue. The gentler comments were irreverent and mocked authority figures. The harsher political comments could be condemning and critical. No-one was immune but politicians, popes and cardinals came in for a caning.
On hot days, we kept an eye out for them and loved being able to re-fill our water bottles and splash our faces to cool down.
This fountain looks a little sad. It features a forlorn figure with a beret-like cap and a rather battered face, carrying a large cask or barrel.
He was an ‘acquailo’ or water-carrier, an important job in the 16th century when there was no reliable or easy supply of fresh water for households. The water-carriers filled their casks with water from the Tiber or from the fountains and carted it around to sell like a door-to-door salesman.
You can find this fountain on the side of the Banco di Roma, on a side street off Via del Corso.
According to tradition, he was called Abbondio Rizio, based on an inscription located near the fountain but which has since been lost.
He is also known as one of the city’s 6 ‘talking statues’. Since the 16th century, Romans would post political and satirical comments on the statue. The gentler comments were irreverent and mocked authority figures. The harsher political comments could be condemning and critical. No-one was immune but politicians, popes and cardinals came in for a caning.
Written 8 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AllanJGJ
Wellington, New Zealand4,211 contributions
Oct 2019
Even though we new exactly where this 'fountain' was we managed to walk by it before re-tracing our steps; it's easy to miss the small statue with one element of flowing water hidden in the wall in the Bank of Rome on Via Lata. This is one of Rome's famous 'talking statues' although it's much newer than the other five, having only been created in the late sixteenth century. It apparently represents the water carriers who at that time carried water from the Tiber during a period before a number of the ancient aqueducts were repaired. The poor old lad has a severely damaged face supposedly because in times past people threw paving stones at his face because with his soft cap they thought he was a portrait of much-hated (in Rome at least) Martin Luther. A cute little statue, perhaps not worth a special trip but you're inevitably going to be somewhere nearby on the way to or from some other attraction, so why not seek him out and pay your respects to the hard-working water carriers of a bygone age.
Written 23 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L3K
Guisborough, UK1,783 contributions
Jan 2020
A quirky little fountain, but still worth a tick in your Observer's book of the Fountains of Rome. Shame it's been defaced.
Written 19 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nellielim
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia4,022 contributions
Oct 2018 • Family
The Porter's Fountain is located in Via Lata in the historical centre of Rome. In this fountain, water is poured out of a barrel by a male figure with a disfigured face. This is one of the 'talking statues' of Rome.
Written 23 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JnVSydney
Greater Sydney, Australia21,219 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
Hidden in the backs streets is this quirky fountain, what makes it different is water is spouting out of a cask, we like its simplicity, (you want a drink here, have some out of my cask).
Written 19 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buccos_Silveira
Sao Paulo, SP282 contributions
Jan 2018
Searching in the internet I discovered a great history behind this fountain, but I believe in the summer would be more fun use the fountain to drink potable water and refresh yourself. The art and the marble notch is remarkable although the evidence of time in the piece.
Written 17 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neil K
Liverpool, UK829,678 contributions
May 2017 • Friends
FONTANA DEL FACCHINO is an awesome and funny little fountain we found as we were heading to the wonderful Trinity Irish Pub.
It's a funny little statue of a Porter with a barrel ( wine or beer ? ) with water dripping out of the barrel.
It looks cool and makes for some great photographic opportunities.
Very easy to locate on Via Late in the Navona District in an area packed with pubs, bars and restaurants in some stunning architecture.
It's a funny little statue of a Porter with a barrel ( wine or beer ? ) with water dripping out of the barrel.
It looks cool and makes for some great photographic opportunities.
Very easy to locate on Via Late in the Navona District in an area packed with pubs, bars and restaurants in some stunning architecture.
Written 1 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MonikafromSurrey
Surrey, England2,375 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
We used Google maps to plot a walk for us from Patheon to Piazza Barberini and luckily the route led through Via Lata. This intriguing fountain is set in the wall of the Banco di Roma. Apparently the fountain was created around 1590. There's something slightly amusing about this porter holding a barrel. It's amazing what you can discover when you zigzag through Centro Storico.
Written 24 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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