In 1902 the harbor was demolished to widen and strengthen the banks of the Tiber. The fountain was moved to its current location, in Piazza del Porto di Ripetta, where it can still be seen today. The fountain is also called Fontana del Navigatore or Fontana dei Navigatori, in tribute to the sailors who used the port. The fountain is one of the few remains of the ancient port area, which played an important role in Rome's economy and culture. The fountain is an example of the Baroque style, which characterizes many fountains in the city.
The Fontana del porto di Ripetta is a fountain in Rome, which was originally part of a harbor on the Tiber River. The fountain was designed by Alessandro Specchi and Carlo Fontana in 1704, commissioned by Pope Clement XI. The fountain consists of an oval basin with a rocky group in the center, on which are placed two dolphins, a shell, a lantern and the papal coat of arms. The fountain served as a watering hole for the animals that transported the goods from the port.
The Clementine port, commonly known as "di Ripetta" to distinguish it from the larger one of Ripa Grande, was arranged by Pope Clement XI, hence the name. In fact, in one of the numerous posterules of the Aurelian Walls (which at the time still ran from the ancient "Aurelian bridge" to the height of the "Flaminia gate"), a small, rudimentary marina had already been formed since the 14th century. abusive", roughly at the height of the church of S. Rocco, for the unloading of wood, coal and wine. In 1704 Pope Albani, Clement XI, approved the proposal of his president of the roads for the creation of a system of docks, stairways and upper square, a project, that is, which provided for the safety and ease of landing of a port combined with the beauty and the pleasantness of a monument.
The construction was entrusted to the architect Alessandro Specchi, who made use of the collaboration of Carlo Fontana and ... an earthquake, which, having caused the collapse of an arch of the Colosseum, facilitated the realization of the enterprise, providing a precious material such as travertine. The construction was characterized by two large curved curbs which, from the docks, rose to street level (where the church of S.Gregorio dei Muratori and the building of the Dogana, known as "la Doganella" overlooked) and by a hemicycle in the center of the which there was a pretty fountain on the cliff surmounted by a star (heraldic coat of arms of the papal Albani family), especially useful for watering the pack animals that arrived here in large numbers for the transport of goods; later a wrought iron lantern was added to facilitate the night landing of boats. Two columns were placed on the sides of the hemicycle on which, subsequently, the various levels of the floods that occurred between 1495 and 1750 were indicated.
The work was inaugurated on August 16, 1704, for the solemnity of S. Rocco and on the occasion of the river festivals that took place annually on that day. Numerous terms with which the port was identified over the years: "port of Legna", "port of Posterule" or "port of Acquaroli", all easily linked to the origin of the toponym. The port was reserved for river traffic coming from the upper course of the Tiber, as an alternative to that of Ripa Grande where maritime traffic called.
Unfortunately, the port was never held in high esteem, so much so that it soon fell into a deplorable state of abandonment: the heavy work that was carried out there and the periodic floods, combined with poor maintenance, reduced it to a state of considerable decay, partially invaded by soil and with chipped steps. It is not surprising, therefore, if, with the construction of the walls, the sacrifice of this great architectural work was accepted with indifference, which was partly destroyed and partly submerged. Today, of this large piece of vanished Rome, only the ancient fountain called "Clementina" or "dei Navigatori" which adorned the hemicycle and the two columns with signs which, highlighted by " sweet little hands", indicate the height reached by the floods of the Tiber, complete with the date and name of the reigning pontiff.
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