Granfonte

Leonforte, Italy

The Granfonte is a monumental public fountain built in Renaissance-Baroque style, located in Leonforte. The elongated fountain extends for 24 meters, consists of 24 bronze spouts where he still gushing fresh spring water.

This structure completed in 1651 by Prince Nicolò Placido Branciforti, founder of the town of Leonforte. It was sited at the usual meeting-place for the town, and with its twenty-four spouts, provided ample and easy access. The work refers to various embodiments of the Flemish artists, at the time very widespread in Sicily, and is attributable to style and morphology to the Mariano Smiriglio architect’s artistic school from Palermo.

It is said that the Prince wanted to build it on the ruins of an old Moorish fountain, with a design similar to that of an existing fountain at that time in Amsterdam.

This monumental fountain was built with bearing walls of sandstone blocks from square cut and worked with sculptures in the round, low and high relief, engravings and decorations; twenty-four bronze spouts sorted pour water in the rectangular tank.

In the facade are visible twenty-two niches bottomless rectangular with round arches; central tower and two side with frames, ornaments and inscriptions, connected by spirals stone; two lions rampant on the side towers.

References:

    Comments

    Your name


    Address

    Via Gran Fonte 2, Leonforte, Italy
    See all sites in Leonforte

    Details

    Founded: 1651
    Category:

    More Information

    en.wikipedia.org

    Rating

    4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

    Interesting Sites Nearby


    Cefalù Cathedral (55,3 km)
    Villa Romana del Casale (30,3 km)
    San Sebastiano Church (32,8 km)
    Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte (45,3 km)
    Late Baroque Town of Caltagirone (45,4 km)
    Caltanissetta Cathedral (32,7 km)
    Castelbuono Castle (42,5 km)
    Enna Cathedral (11,9 km)
    Castello di Lombardia (11,4 km)

    User Reviews

    salvatore raele (4 months ago)
    Monumental 24-pipe fountain also known as vintiquattrucannola (twenty-fourcannoli). Beautiful to look at and refreshing on those hot days. On Friday evenings there is an interesting nightlife thanks to the characteristic local front, the Camurria.
    GIUSEPPE FICHERA (4 months ago)
    In a little town known by mass tourism, you find yourself a beautiful source of Romanesque origin that has nothing to envy to the famous Roman fountains. To visit
    Luigi Venticinque (5 months ago)
    Historic fountain which takes its name from the 24 cannulas from which, still today, excellent spring water flows. Monumental, well maintained. To visit absolutely.
    Giovanni Stracquadaneo (5 months ago)
    Monumental fountain of Leonforte. 24 spouts from which very fresh water flows and which is still used daily by the citizens. It overlooks a rural setting typical of the Sicilian hinterland. It deserves a lot!
    alessandro albiero (2 years ago)
    Interesting small town in the middle of Sicily. It was a surprise
    Powered by Google

    Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

    Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
    Photo from Flickr, copyright CONTROTONO

    Historic Site of the week

    Palazzo Colonna

    The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

    The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

    With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

    Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

    The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

    The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

    Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

    Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
    © 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.