Visit the Turtle Fountain in Rome
Written by Heather Cowper
In Rome there are beautiful fountains and sculptures at every turn, but for a more charming and intimate experience, my favourite was the Fontana delle Tartarughe or Turtle Fountain in the Jewish Ghetto. As it was my first stop on a busy day’s sightseeing, I probably caught it before the crowds arrived, as we were virtually the only people there – what a contrast to the Trevi fountain!
You’ll find it in the tiny Piazza Mattei, surrounded by apartment buildings. It was commissioned by the Mattei family, who owned all the palazzi around the square, in 1581 and was designed by Giacomo della Porta but sculpted under his direction by Taddeo Landini. Many people think the fountain was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini but only the turtles were attributed to him and were added during a restoration ordered by Bernini’s patron Pope Alexander VII. In 1979 one of the turtles was stolen and so the three remaining were also replaced with copies, with the originals now in the Capitoline museums.
From here, it’s pleasant to get lost in the narrow cobbled streets of this authentic old Roman neighbourhood and then make your way to Campo de’Fiori market to buy your picnic lunch.
Photos by Heather on her travels on Flickr
Really nice fountain, the architecture of this anscient city is superb, i love it!
I live in Rome and the Ghetto is one my favorite places in the city. Piazza Mattei has an interesting history and the fountain turtle is beautiful. I also like the Bartaruga bar situated on the square, it’s a really nice spot to relax and have a drink. :)
Beautiful photos Heather, yes Rome certainly is a city of fountains. We stayed near the Trevi on our 20th wedding anniversary and every evening would sit and eat an ice cream at the fountain once the tourist hordes are subsided.
Marion – thanks for your comment, it must be wonderful to live in Rome, We only spend 4 days there and although we were out all day didn’t have time to see much.
Yes, there are so many things to see in Rome that 4 days are not enough. I’ve been living in Rome for 6 years and I still discover new “hidden treasures” (and ice cream shops too :)) when strolling through the narrow streets of the historical center.
I can’t believe how realistic those little turtles look! Great photos, really makes me want to go back to Rome soon…
Charlotte
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Beautiful picture of the fountain. Although we were in Rome, we never saw this fountain. I learned of it from a novel I was reading and became curious; found it on your website. Rome is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the World. Thanks for the site.
Michael – thanks for your comment, Heather’s photos are beauitful. There are around 280 fountains in Rome, so it’d be almost impossible to see them all in one trip unless you were in Rome for weeks.
I agree that Rome is one of the most beautiful cities in the World, we spent our 20th wedding anniversary there.
Yes, it was a favourite from my visit to Rome, probably because in contrast to many other places we visited in Rome, you didn’t have to fight past all the other tourists to enjoy it.
If you’d like to see some of my other Rome photos do take a look here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heatheronhertravels/collections/72157605001935129/