Fontana del Navigante

The fountain of the Navigante (Navigator) was commissioned by Clement the Eleventh Albani (1700-1721), designed by Alessandro Specchi and built in 1704 to decorate the hemicycle overlooking the port of Ripetta. According to a description by Moroni it consisted of an oval pond containing a cliff and a shell with two dauphins at its sides with their tails intertwined. On top of the cliff three mountains surmounted by a star refer to Clement the Eleventh. Around the middle of the eighteenth century an iron-wrought lantern was installed on the top to help the boats dock by night. After the destruction of the port of Ripetta (1902), the fountain was dismantled and its pieces deposited in the government depots. In 1928 it was rebuilt, approximately in its original location, but not following the original fountain completely. The works were completed in 1930.