This small masterpiece of late Renaissance sculpture, built between 1580 and 1588, was designed by sculptor Taddeo Landini and architect Giacomo della Porta to supply drinking water from the Roman Acqua Vergine aqueduct to the residents of the Jewish Ghetto. Water still flows from its upper basin, but the fountain is more decorative than functional today. One of the most photographed fountains in the city, the Fontana delle Tartarughe is featured on most walking and food tours of the Jewish Ghetto, in addition to important Jewish cultural sights like the synagogue and Jewish Museum, the neighborhood’s ancient ruins, and the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) marble mask at the Basilica of St. Mary in Cosmedin, made famous in the classic film Roman Holiday.
The Turtle Fountain is in Piazza Mattei in the Jewish Ghetto, directly across the Tiber River from the Trastevere neighborhood. There are no metro stops near the Ghetto, but a number of bus lines connect it with the Termini train station and other neighborhoods in the city.
Jewish Ghetto tours including a stop at the Turtle Fountain are best scheduled when the neighborhood businesses are open; many close for the Jewish Sabbath from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday.
This pretty fountain’s design features a central pedestal depicting four ephebes perched on marble shells, each lifting turtles to the upper water basin. Originally, the ephebes lifted small dolphins, which were replaced a century later by turtles due to low water pressure. Today, the original bronze turtles that gave the fountain its name have been replaced by replicas thanks to a spate of thieving; the originals are preserved in the Capitoline Museums.
