During the Gothic War (535 – 553), Rome was besieged several times. The longest, which lasted about a year, was laid by the Ostrogothic king Vitiges, who cut off the city from the aqueducts that were still operating at the time. Most of the fountains dried up and became useless bulky ruins, which became a source of free building material.
Water Shortage in the Middle Ages
Throughout the Middle Ages, most of Rome’s inhabitants had to fetch water from the river again, just as their ancestors had done a thousand years earlier. This, combined with several other historical events, had a devastating effect on demographics, reducing the city’s population from one and a half million to just tens of thousands. One can imagine how the lack of water for hygiene created such unsanitary conditions in which many diseases, including the plague, flourished.
Water Sources
In these dark centuries, besides the river, the few sources of water were a few outlets of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct (it worked more reliably than the others, but served only a small area under the Quirinal Hill), outlets from other, occasionally restored aqueducts (none worked for more than 200 years after repairs), and several wells that collected rainwater. Underground springs were also used, but only churches and monasteries could afford to find and maintain them.
Uses of Underground Springs
The underground springs were used for various purposes. In particular, they supplied water to hospices and hospitals belonging to religious institutions. The water was enough to maintain minimum hygiene standards. Water from the springs was also used to irrigate the monastery gardens, where monks grew medicinal herbs, and to fill baptismal pools, in which people undergoing baptism were dipped up to their waist.
Early Church Fountains
The main churches of the early Middle Ages had separate water sources in their gardens or courtyards, typically a fountain or bathtub, where the faithful could refresh themselves and perform a ritual cleansing before entering the holy building.
These gardens were known as “paradise” gardens. In most cases, the water flowed from a large vase with spiral handles called a cantharus. This is why the entire fountain came to be called a cantharus. These vases were taken from ancient baths or villas where they lay abandoned.
Some still exist, but only one remains in front of a church today, carefully recreating the early medieval setting. It is located in the garden of the Basilica of Saint Cecilia. Although the site has changed, the marble cantharus still pours water into a low square basin.
The Fountain at St. Peter’s Basilica
The most famous of the earliest post-imperial fountains stood in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Made in a classical vase shape, it was installed around the 4th century, shortly after construction of the basilica. Tradition attributes its construction to Pope Symmachus (498-514).
The old St. Peter’s Basilica had the typical early Christian basilica structure. From the open space corresponding to the modern square in front of the cathedral, stairs led up to a colonnaded courtyard in front of the church with a fountain in the middle.
Water Supply System
To supply water for the complex under construction, already under Pope Damasus I (366-384) a system of canals was dug beneath Vatican Hill to draw water from several small springs known since antiquity but never fully utilized. This mini-aqueduct allowed the basilica to meet its water needs, although neither the quantity nor supply was very large or consistent.
Later History
About 400 years later, probably under Pope Hadrian I (772-795), the vase was replaced with an antique fountain shaped like a huge bronze pine cone taken from ruins behind the Pantheon, formerly part of the Baths of Agrippa.
It was under Pope Hadrian I that the Aqua Traiana aqueduct, which ran along nearby Janiculum Hill, was fully restored. This finally began providing the Vatican neighborhood with sufficient water again. Its inauguration may have provided a good reason to renovate the old fountain. The pine cone fountain operated for two centuries until the aqueduct stopped working again.
When the Aqua Traiana was out of service, the old canal system provided water. Also, on special occasions like religious festivals, water for pilgrims’ ablutions was carried by hand from the Tiber River.
References in Literature
Medieval chronicles like the famous 12th century Mirabilia Urbis Romae ( Marvels of the City of Rome) mentioned the St. Peter’s fountain as one of the landmarks of Rome. Water poured through hundreds of small holes from the large pine cone into a basin below.
Renaissance drawings show the fountain centered in a square basin under an ornate marble canopy supported by eight columns (originally four). Perched on top were bronze peacocks, probably taken from Hadrian’s Mausoleum and described by chroniclers as “griffins” covered in gold leaf.
Here is an excerpt about the fountain from the 13th century text Le Miracole de Roma (The Wonders of Rome):
Later Reconstruction
During complete reconstruction of St. Peter’s Cathedral (1506-1614), the fountain and canopy were dismantled, and the precious materials were reused elsewhere. All that survives today are the peacocks and cone installed by Pirro Ligorio around 1565 in the large niche of the Vatican’s Belvedere courtyard.
The peacocks on display beside the cone are copies. The originals, still shining like gold, are kept in the Vatican Museums.
