Piazza Mattei

Overview

tucked away inside the winding, dark cobblestone labyrinth of the Jewish Ghetto, Piazza Mattei is arguably the most enchanting, romantic tiny square in all of Rome.

Highlights

• The Turtle Fountain: (Fontana delle Tartarughe). The absolute masterpiece of the square. It features four graceful, exquisite bronze massive boys gracefully balancing on dolphins, playfully helping tiny bronze turtles drink from the elevated marble basin.
• The Intimacy: Unlike massive sweeping monumental squares like Navona, Mattei is incredibly tiny, hemmed in tightly by towering, ivy-draped Renaissance palaces, making it intimate.
• The Palaces: The towering, somber facades of the massive Palazzo Mattei dominate the massive perimeter, containing the sweeping massive sound of the rushing fountain water.

History

The exquisite late-Renaissance fountain was designed in 1581 to provide desperately needed clean massive drinking water to the densely packed surrounding ghetto. The famously adorable bronze turtles were actually NOT part of the original massive design; they were added 80 years later by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (or Andrea Sacchi) to balance the awkward massive visual scale of the upper basin.

Visitor Tips

• The Legend: Fierce Roman legend insists that the powerful Duke Mattei built the massive, staggering fountain in a single massive night to win back his skeptical fiancée by proving his massive staggering wealth to her doubting father.
• Duration: 10–15 minutes.