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Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania — Genzano di Lucania
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Fountains, Squares and Bridges 📍 Genzano di Lucania, Italy 197 views

Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania

The Cavallina Fountain in Genzano di Lucania, in its monumental architectural complex, has the shape of an amphitheater with a structure of solid, fired, natural bricks, without plaster and with an upper curb made of live stone. It has a floor made of pavement that extends to the...

Photo · Luana R.

Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania — Genzano di Lucania, Italy.

Location
Genzano di Lucania
Type
Fountains, Squares and Bridges
Opening hours
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About Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania

Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania - Genzano di Lucania | Secret World Trip Planner

The Cavallina Fountain in Genzano di Lucania, in its monumental architectural complex, has the shape of an amphitheater with a structure of solid, fired, natural bricks, without plaster and with an upper curb made of live stone. It has a floor made of pavement that extends to the two access ramps. The inner wall of the ramps begins and ends with a pillar, on which rests a quadrangular base bearing a stone pine cone. Said wall is also interspersed with seven other pillars, equidistant from each other, which extend through a quadrangular plinth, underlying a small column, about half a meter high. The three small columns in the central part carry a protective wrought-iron railing.

Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania - Genzano di Lucania | Secret World Trip Planner

It is fed by an inexhaustible pool of spring water, coming from three directions: from the northwest, an area known as "Giardino"; from the southwest "San Giorgio"; and from the northeast "Sotto il Municipio." The first branch feeds the Fountain, the second feeds a secondary pool, and the third feeds the public trough. The latter by means of an underground tunnel, built at eye level, crosses Via Cavour, skirts the Town Hall, extends down Via De Marinis and channels water from a deep cistern, located at the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via De Marinis. Surplus water, including rainwater, drains via tunnels into the nearby Vallone dei Greci.

On the Roman-style arch stands the statue of the goddess Ceres, commonly called "Holy Abundance." It is a very valuable archaeological find from the 1st cent. BCE. - 1st century AD, found in the second half of the 1800s near the Pila Grande about 2 km. from the town, where Féstula, an ancient pagan city, once stood. The statue, artistically carved on live stone, is about 1.5 meters tall. In its original entirety, it held suspended the flap of a peplos with one hand and clutched a handful of ears of corn with the other. On October 25, 1978, the Cavallina Fountain was reproduced on an ordinary postage stamp of £.120 in the "Fountains of Italy" series, which brings together 21 fountains throughout Italy.

Cavallina Fountain of Genzano di Lucania - Genzano di Lucania | Secret World Trip Planner
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Cavallina Fountain is constructed with solid, fired natural bricks without plaster and features an amphitheater-shaped monumental complex with an upper curb of live stone. Its design includes seven equidistant pillars supporting small columns, with wrought-iron railings in the central section, creating an impressive Roman-style structure.
The fountain is fed by inexhaustible spring water from three directions: the Giardino area to the northwest, San Giorgio to the southwest, and Sotto il Municipio to the northeast. Each water source serves a different purpose—the first feeds the main fountain, the second fills a secondary pool, and the third supplies the public trough.
The statue of the goddess Ceres, known as 'Holy Abundance,' is a valuable Roman archaeological artifact from the 1st century BCE to 1st century AD, standing approximately 1.5 meters tall. Originally carved from live stone near the ancient city of Féstula about 2 km away, it depicts Ceres holding a flap of peplos in one hand and ears of corn in the other.
An underground tunnel built at eye level crosses Via Cavour, passes the Town Hall, and extends down Via De Marinis to a deep cistern at the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Surplus water, including rainwater, drains through additional tunnels into the nearby Vallone dei Greci, making the fountain an integral part of the town's water system.
The Cavallina Fountain was reproduced on an ordinary Italian postage stamp of £.120 on October 25, 1978, as part of the 'Fountains of Italy' series. This recognition highlights the fountain's cultural and historical significance as one of Italy's notable architectural monuments.

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