The Fountain of the 12 Months, located in the Valentino Park, is the only remaining example of the architectural project done for the 1898 National Exhibition on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Albertine Statute.
The fountain is located south of the Medieval Village, in the southern area of the Valentino Park and follows the slope of the land that descends towards the Po. As with numerous places and symbols of Turin, the history of the 12 Month Fountain is also linked to a legend. In fact, it is said that the fountain rises in the place where Fetonte, son of the God of the Sun, fell after taking possession of his father's chariot and causing the horses to run amok. Fetonte fell right into the river Po where centuries later the Romans founded the city of Augusta Taurinorum.
The design of the fountain was entrusted to Carlo Ceppi, an important engineer and architect in the Turin area.
The fountain is made up of an oval basin into which the water usually comes from a small central waterfall, but when I was there it was frozen and you couldn't notice it.
The basin is then dominated by a terrace of the same shape on which there are four groups of statues representing the 4 rivers that flow through Turin: the Stura (represented by three female nudes), the Po (represented by a bearded figure), the Dora (represented by a shepherdess) and the Sangone (represented by a genius smiling at two lovers). The terrace is also enriched by statues that allegorically depict the 12 months.
The architecture, the place and the legends associated with this fountain draw a romantic and fantastic aura that fascinates.
If you are in Turin, drop by. ⛲