Rome fountain sterling silver replica : Catalone, Borgo Pio, Rome

This sterling silver fountain is a replica of the Catalone Fountain, located in Borgo Pio, not far from St. Peter's Square, and was made from a wax made by the artist, painter and sculptor, Foscolo Benedetti. The fountain, protected by two small columns connected by an iron bar, consists of a simple rectangular aedicule in travertine, gabled at the top and leaning against a brick construction. The upper arch has a papal coat of arms, with the tiara and the decussed keys, while the central part is made up of a simple cinnamon that pours the water into the underlying oval hanging basin, from which it falls into the drainage system at ground level delimited by a semicircular frame formed by a stone border that encloses a paving with cobblestones. Note the inscription placed immediately above the cinnamon, ACQUA MARCIA, which of course refers to the water that feeds the fountain. But this writing also suggests the dating of the fountain: it was built around 1870 by Pope Pius IX on the occasion of the restoration works of the ancient aqua Marcia and which was renamed Acqua Pia from the name of the pope.