The Major Fountain

The Fontana Maggiore, a symbol of Perugia, is located in Piazza IV Novembre. It was built between 1275 and 1278 to a design by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. The fountain would receive water conveyed by the Aqueduct of Monte Pacciano and would be a very important water resource for the life of the city. However, the fountain was also given the task of narrating the mythical foundation of the city of Perugia and representing many aspects of the lives of ordinary people in medieval times. Set on a circular tier of pink and white marble, the fountain rises on three levels: a larger stone basin contains a smaller one, and in the center of it stands a small bronze basin from which the water gushes.The small columns supporting the marble basin placed higher up are carved with the features of the mythical founders of the city, while the fifty marble tiles decorating the lower basin represent the calendar of agricultural work, the symbols of the city (griffin, lion, imperial eagle), the seven liberal arts, and philosophy. Somewhat surprisingly, this important series of symbols is joined by two tiles that narrate two of Aesop's fables.