Viterbo | Papal Palace and The Fountain of the Loggia

The fountain is located in the centre of the loggia of the Papal Palace. In the same place there was a 13th century fountain, erected at the time of the construction of the loggia called "Fons Papalis", which was destroyed in the second half of the 16th century due to the collapse of the roof and the rear loggia. It was immediately rebuilt on the model of the pre-existing fountain, also reusing original material and fragments that had been saved from the collapse. The basin is polygonal, made up of sixteen mirrors, three of which are decorated with coats of arms in relief of the Gatti family which, presumably, were part of the loggia. The others have noble insignia belonging to Cardinal Raffaele Galeotto Riario, Bishop Francesco Maria Visconti Settala and Pope Sixtus V della Rovere. The cup, supported by a column with a capital decorated with leaves, is original of the thirteenth-century fountain. It has twelve lion heads with a blowtorch in the mouth. In the centre stands a cusp that ends with a basket of fruit from which a splash of water gushes out.