The Mermaid...Fontana Dell'Aquilone
In the Vatican gardens, Fontana dell'Aquilone (the Fountain of Eagle) by Pope Paul V and designed by Vasanzio.
In the background, the Mater Ecclesiae monastery of nuns.
Gisa Ottaviani is spending the day with us taking us into Vatican City to see it all....we feel so lucky to do both!! Italia (Nov 1, 2011)
Note:Pope Paul V celebrated the completion of the aqueduct named after him by building an imposing fountain resembling a triumphal arch at its Trastevere end; at Borgo this was done with a fountain imitating a natural cascade coming out from rocks and caves. The fountain was built near Casino di Pio IV, a small residence designed by Pirro Ligorio in 1561 for Pope Pius IV; it is generally attributed to Giovanni Vasanzio and it is named after the marble eagle at its top, although in Italian, "aquilone" is usually used to indicate a kite, rather than a big eagle.
