Tipologia:
Monument and Site of interest
In 1351 a public water fountain was built in the town’s main square. It collected the run-off waters from the hill where the Tramontano Castle is located. This fountain was then replaced in 1577 by another similar one with a cross at the top which was then restored and enlarged at the expense of the citizens in 1832, during the reign of King Ferdinand II, as the Latin inscription on the front of the fountain attests. The works to build a new aqueduct and a new fountain were contracted out to Don Gaetano Farina of Baronissi from Salerno in 1827 and lasted five years, following numerous difficulties encountered at the construction site. In 1844 the fountain was equipped with a large reserve tank with a pump to increase the water flow during the summer months and periods of drought. Every day women would flock to the square and queue with their water jugs to wait for their turn. The fountain began to fall into disuse in 1926. When the Apulian Aqueduct finally reached the city, many cast iron fountains were placed throughout the Sassi districts and the modern urban area. Therefore, people were able to stand in the long queues to get drinking water within their own neighbourhoods.
Piazza Vittorio Veneto 75100 Matera
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