🧒💧 Fontana del Giovannin del Ponterosso – The Little Putto in the Heart of Trieste
The Fontana del Giovannin del Ponterosso is a lovingly designed fountain in Trieste's Piazza del Ponterosso – right on the Grand Canal. It's not just a decorative element, but a piece of living city history, interwoven with market life, folk culture, and Baroque symbolism.
🕰️ Historical Background
Built: 1753 by Giovanni Mazzoleni, the architect of the famous Fontana dei Quattro Continenti
Water Source: The water originally came from the Aquedotto di San Giovanni, which supplied the Borgo Teresiano
Sculpture: In the second half of the 18th century, Giovanni Carlo Wagner created the statue of a putto (little angel), affectionately called "Giovannin"
🎨 Design & Symbolism
The putto sits on a conch shell supported by telamons (male support figures)
The water originally flowed from the mouths of the telamons, over smaller shells, into the large basin
The fountain is richly decorated with Baroque details – masks, columns, shells
🧺 In the past, the fountain was decorated with flowers by the market's flower sellers on the feast day of St. John (San Giovanni) – a custom dedicated to the putto gave it its name
📍 Location & Atmosphere
Location: Piazza del Ponterosso, directly on the Ponte Rosso and the Grand Canal
Surrounded by market stalls, cafés, and historic palazzi – a lively meeting place
In the immediate vicinity: the James Joyce Statue, the Palazzo Gopcevich, and the Maria Theresa Thaler