Fontana della Barcaccia, Rome

Name: Fontana della Barcaccia
Address: Piazza di Spagna, Rome, 00187, Italy

#88 among attractions in Rome

Gianlorenzo Bernini, Fountain

Gallery (10)

Map

Gallery

Photo details 1. Wikipedia / CC BY 3.0 / 2pi.pl / URL • 2. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / DarwIn / URL • 3. Wikimedia Commons / Public domain / Berthold Werner / URL • 4. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Mark Ahsmann / URL • 5. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 / Daniele.Brundu / URL • 6. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Nicholas Gemini / URL • 7. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / CAPTAIN RAJU / URL

Facts and practical information

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Rome, the Fontana della Barcaccia is a baroque-style fountain that offers a serene respite from the bustling city streets. This unique water feature is located at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna, one of the city's most popular public squares.

The fountain was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and completed in 1627 by Pietro Bernini, father of the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Fontana della Barcaccia is characterized by its distinctive shape of a half-sunken ship with water overflowing its sides. This design was inspired by a historical event – the flooding of the Tiber River in 1598, which left a boat stranded in the square.

Visitors to the Fontana della Barcaccia can admire the intricate details of the fountain, including the bees and the sun, symbols of the Barberini family to which Pope Urban VIII belonged. The fountain's water is supplied by the ancient Acqua Vergine aqueduct and is said to be among the freshest and coolest in the city, offering a refreshing treat for tourists on warm days.

The Fontana della Barcaccia is not only a beautiful example of baroque artistry but also a testament to the creative ingenuity of the Bernini family. Its location makes it an ideal starting point for exploring Rome, with the Trinità dei Monti church and the Spanish Steps rising above it, and the high-end boutiques of Via dei Condotti nearby.

Alternative names: Coordinates: 41°54'21"N, 12°28'56"E

Address

Piazza di SpagnaCampo MarzioRome 00187 Italy

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Day trips

Fontana della Barcaccia – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Via Condotti, Piazza di Spagna, Spanish Steps, Trinità dei Monti.

~150 ftSW
Street, Shopping, Shopping district
Via Condotti, Rome
1 min walk • Nestled in the heart of Rome, Via Condotti stands as the epitome of luxury and sophistication in the Eternal City. This illustrious shopping district is where the world's most affluent shoppers come to indulge in the finest retail therapy.
~50 ftNW
Baroque architecture, Square, Architecture
Piazza di Spagna, Rome
1 min walk • Piazza di Spagna, with its grand staircase and charming atmosphere, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Rome, Italy. This bustling square is named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, which has been located here since the 17th century.
~180 ftNE
Iconic baroque stairway and meeting place
Spanish Steps, Rome
1 min walk • The Spanish Steps are an iconic monument in the heart of Rome, Italy, offering a picturesque stairway that has captivated visitors for centuries. Constructed between 1723 and 1725, the steps were designed by architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi.
~450 ftNE
Renaissance church next to Spanish Steps
Trinità dei Monti, Rome
3 min walk • The church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti, often called merely the Trinità dei Monti, is a Roman Catholic late Renaissance titular church in Rome, central Italy. It is best known for its position above the Spanish Steps which lead down to the famous Piazza di Spagna. The church and its surrounding area are a French State property.
~920 ftN
Vernacular architecture, Architecture, Art museum
Villa Medici, Rome
5 min walk • The Villa Medici is a Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy.
~110 ftE
Museum, Historical place
Keats-Shelley Memorial House, Rome
1 min walk • The Keats–Shelley Memorial House is a writer's house museum in Rome, Italy, commemorating the Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley.
~460 ftW
Baroque architecture, Vernacular architecture, Palace
Palazzo Malta, Rome
3 min walk • Palazzo Malta, officially named as the Magistral Palace, and also known as Palazzo di Malta or Palazzo dell'Ordine di Malta, is the more important of the two headquarters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Roman Catholic lay religious order and a sovereign subject of international law.
~1090 ftSW
Baroque architecture, Church
San Silvestro in Capite, Rome
6 min walk • The Basilica of Saint Sylvester the First, also known as, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome dedicated to Pope Sylvester I.
~440 ftSE
Palace
Palazzo Gabrielli-Mignanelli, Rome
3 min walk • Palazzo Gabrielli-Mignanelli is a late-Renaissance palace in Rome, overlooking Piazza Mignanelli and Piazza di Spagna. The palace was built around 1575 by Alessandro Moschetti for count Girolamo Gabrielli, of a noble family from Gubbio.
~910 ftSE
Baroque architecture, Church, Sacred and religious sites
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, Rome
5 min walk • Sant'Andrea delle Fratte is a 17th-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to St. Andrew. The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Andreae Apostoli de Hortis is Ennio Antonelli.
~460 ftE
Palace, Architecture
Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
3 min walk • Palazzo Zuccari, also called Palazzetto Zuccheri, is a 16th-century residence, located at the crossroads of via Sistina and via Gregoriana, with a Mannerist 16th-century facades on the latter street and a late Baroque facade on the piazza Trinità dei Monti in the Campo Marzio neighborhood of Rome, Italy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When is Fontana della Barcaccia open?

Fontana della Barcaccia is open:

Monday 24h
Tuesday 24h
Wednesday 24h
Thursday 24h
Friday 24h
Saturday 24h
Sunday 24h

Which popular attractions are close to Fontana della Barcaccia?

Nearby attractions include Piazza di Spagna, Rome (1 min walk), Keats-Shelley Memorial House, Rome (1 min walk), Giorgio de Chirico House Museum, Rome (1 min walk), Via Condotti, Rome (1 min walk).

How to get to Fontana della Barcaccia by public transport?

The nearest stations to Fontana della Barcaccia:

Metro

Spagna • Lines: A (4 min walk)
Barberini • Lines: A (10 min walk)

Bus

Tritone/Fontana di Trevi • Lines: 160, 492, 53, 62, 63, 71, 83, 85, C3, n12, n25, n4, n5 (7 min walk)
San Claudio • Lines: 160, 492, 51, 53, 62, 63, 71, 80, 83, 85, n12, n4, n5 (7 min walk)

Ferry

Ponte Cavour (11 min walk)
Sant'Angelo • Lines: Battelli di Roma (20 min walk)

Tram

Flaminio • Lines: 2 (15 min walk)
Venezia • Lines: 8 (19 min walk)

Light rail

Flaminio • Lines: Fc3 (15 min walk)
Roma Termini • Lines: Fl6, Fl7 (29 min walk)

Trolleybus

XX Settembre/Min. Finanze • Lines: 90 (19 min walk)
Volturno/Cernaia • Lines: 90 (22 min walk)

Train

Roma Termini (29 min walk)