Located in the Piazza del Campo in Siena there sits a stunning fountain that was originally finished in 1414 by Jacopo della Quercia. Jacopo was an Italian sculptor during the Renaissance. He followed the methodology of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and Donatello, and is considered to be the precursor to Michelangelo. He was considered to be a master of the International-Gothic Style. He has made many famous works, besides this fountain, including the notable commission from the Lucca city ruler, Paolo Guinigi, to create the tomb of his second wife.
Jacopo della Quercia was asked to create a new fountain for the Palazzo del Campo in 1406. The present statue features the goddess Venus, and was considered to be a pagan statue. This statue was to be replaced because the pagan statue was blamed for the outbreak of the Black Plague that had struck the city. The statue was actually destroyed and buried outside of the city walls to further expunge its evil influence from the area.
Since Jacopop della Quercia was given this commission it demonstrated his growing prominence in sculpting. The fountain was to represent the wealth possessed by the Republic of Sienna, and had to be worthy of the piazza. The fountain design included a rectangular alter-like basin for the fountain that was constructed in white marble. It also features three sides that had many statues and spouts decorating them. The sides include reliefs that include the creation of Adam and The Flight from the Garden of Eden. The long center section of the fountain features the beloved Madonna and Child, which are surrounded by allegories of the Virtues. The water that flows through the fountain comes from a spring that travels through underground passages 25 kilometers from a nearby countryside. These underground tunnels are known as Bottini.
The construction of the fountain took the sculptor a long time, beginning his work in 1414 and not finishing until 1419. This was because Jacopo was accepting other commissions at the same time, causing him to spread his craft over many projects. He was completing the tomb in Lucca at the time he received this commission. The water feature was named the Fonte Gaia because of the joy of the people and the festivities that took place when it was inaugurated. The people were thrilled to have gushing water coming from this wonderful creation. This fountain was, and still is, a popular tourist attraction.
The fountain was restored in 1858 as many of the statues were deteriorating. This restoration was done by Tito Sarrocchi. It was determined that it would be best to create a replica since the original was in such unstable condition. He was also an Italian Sculptor and was well known for replicating statues of older fountains. He completed this restoration in 1869, creating a complete replica minus the two statues that had been on the final pilasters. The old statues were cared for, and are now located in the loggia of the Palazzo Pubblico for public display. Interestingly, each original piece was cared for, one at a time, with the whole work eventually being reassembled in this protected structure. These statues, all though now in very poor condition, are a clear picture of the power and originality of Jacopo della Quercia.
