Roman Monographs - Fountains · part II · Small Fountains (page 3)

	~ Roman Monographs ~ Fountains · part II · Small Fountains PAGE 3

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THE 'BIG NOSES'
19^th AND 20^th CENTURIES

small fountain dated 1872

During the last quarter of the 19th century, after the city had been taken by the Italian troops (1870), Rome's population started growing at a very fast rate, due to the many immigrants who poured into the new capital from other parts of Italy, particularly from the lands that previously belonged to the Papal State.	fountain dated 1886 inspired by the old troughs

As a consequence of the immigration, some parts of Rome which up to that moment had been barely inhabited or covered by cultivated fields, within a few decades became considerably crowded and new suburban districts began to develop.

By that time, all fountains, regardless of their size, were only found in the central districts and the exceptions were really very few. Although a few fountains with a traditional look were still made, such as the ones shown above and on the left, a real change took place in 1874.

In that year, among other public works, Rome's City Council had a number of new small fountains set in the modern neighborhoods as well as in the preexisting central ones. Obviously, they were no longer carved by an artist or a mason, but mass-produced, made of cast iron, a cheap material compared to stone and marble, yet practical and resistent. These fountains were shaped as a cylinder, about 120 cm or 3 feet high, with nozzles in the shape of a dragon's head, but instead of the traditional basin they had a simple grill where the water flowed; in fact, their main purpose was now to satisfy the needs of the residents, who collected drinking water for cooking, washing, etc.
The age of the old drinking-troughs for horses had definitively subsided.

the old nasone in via delle Tre Cannelle and the one by the Pantheon

detail of the original dragon-shaped nozzle

During the 20th century, from time to time, more fountains of similar shape were made, to increase the number of outlets. Their design was slightly simplified, and in particular the decorated nozzle was replaced by a plain iron pipe.
The shape of the latter accounts for the nickname given to these fountains, popularly called nasoni ("big noses").
Today, according to the latest surveys, there are over 1,000 of them scattered around the city.

Unfortunately, the original ones have gradually become very few, having been either removed or replaced by newer ones. Only three of the ones that feature dragon-shaped nozzles are still extant.

the dry nasone in via di San Teodoro

a modern nasone fountain	One is in piazza della Rotonda, only two metres away from the nice and much larger Renaissance fountain that faces the Pantheon, in place of an ancient 'trough' fountain, now no longer extant. It once had three nozzles, but one of them has gone missing. A similar one, with all of its nozzles still in place, is located at the beginning of a steep street that leads towards the Quirinal Hill, via delle Tre Cannelle, i.e. "three nozzles street"; this name refers to a larger wall fountain with three outlets, drawn around 1590 likely by the famous fountain-maker Giacomo Della Porta, that once stood at the top of the street, but went lost in time. A third one, now dry, is in via di San Teodoro, at the back of the Roman Forum.	a nasone painted by football fans with the colours of Rome's team

when in Rome, do as the Romans do	The nozzle of all the nasoni, either old or new, has a hole on its back. Obstructing the main outlet with a finger, the water is forced to gush upwards through the hole: in this way drinking is very easy, and very hygienic too. Few non-Romans are aware of this simple trick: you will see many visitors struggling in the most weird and uncomfortable positions, in the attempt of reaching the rather low nozzle. Although cast iron is a material which under the sun heats up very easily, the water poured by these fountains is always cool, as it keeps constantly running; especially during the hot season, the refreshing comfort that the many nasoni provide is particularly welcome by Romans and tourists alike.

when in Rome, do as the Romans do

The nozzle of all the nasoni, either old or new, has a hole on its back. Obstructing the main outlet with a finger, the water is forced to gush upwards through the hole: in this way drinking is very easy, and very hygienic too. Few non-Romans are aware of this simple trick: you will see many visitors struggling in the most weird and uncomfortable positions, in the attempt of reaching the rather low nozzle.

Although cast iron is a material which under the sun heats up very easily, the water poured by these fountains is always cool, as it keeps constantly running; especially during the hot season, the refreshing comfort that the many nasoni provide is particularly welcome by Romans and tourists alike.

During the 1980s, the inevitable waste of water they caused was taken into consideration by Rome's City Council, which decided to provide most of these fountains with a tap. Some were given a round knob, some others a new brass nozzle with a button (set above the old one, which was sometimes removed). These impromptu devices dramatically reduced the consumption of water, but besides being rather ugly, the water, no longer running, was no longer fresh either, and during the summer even warm because of the heated iron parts. Furthermore, these devices had to be operated while drinking, what the people clearly disliked, and their nozzle no longer had the practical hole on the back. However, due to the cheap quality of these mechanisms and the restless activity of vandals, no longer than a few years after the taps had been mounted, the water was freely running again from many fountains. Also following the people's discontent, the municipality decided to quit the project, and free the nasoni from the unpleasant taps; very few are still seen around, while most of the fountains now have an empty hole where these devices were once set.	nasone left with the additional tap, but without the original "nose"

During the 1980s, the inevitable waste of water they caused was taken into consideration by Rome's City Council, which decided to provide most of these fountains with a tap. Some were given a round knob, some others a new brass nozzle with a button (set above the old one, which was sometimes removed). These impromptu devices dramatically reduced the consumption of water, but besides being rather ugly, the water, no longer running, was no longer fresh either, and during the summer even warm because of the heated iron parts. Furthermore, these devices had to be operated while drinking, what the people clearly disliked, and their nozzle no longer had the practical hole on the back. However, due to the cheap quality of these mechanisms and the restless activity of vandals, no longer than a few years after the taps had been mounted, the water was freely running again from many fountains.
Also following the people's discontent, the municipality decided to quit the project, and free the nasoni from the unpleasant taps; very few are still seen around, while most of the fountains now have an empty hole where these devices were once set.

nasone left with the additional tap,
but without the original "nose"

PART I
ANCIENT FOUNTAINS

page 1	page 2	page 4

~~~ SMALL FOUNTAINS ~~~

PART III
MAIN FOUNTAINS