Fountain of the Four Continents — Attraction in Trieste

The Fountain of the Four Continents was created between 1751 and 1754 according to the project of the famous master Giovanni Battista Mazzoleni. The monument was to become a symbol of the prosperity of Trieste as a port city, and it was achieved thanks to the policies of Emperor Charles VI and Empress Maria Theresa. The fate of the Fontana dei Quattro Continenti was not simple. In 1925 there was a plan to demolish it. It was avoided due to the protests of famous cultural figures of the city of that time. In 1938, the fountain was dismantled in order to free the square in honor of the arrival of Benito Mussolini. The monument was returned to the square only in 1970, but it was displaced. In 2000, as part of the reconstruction of the Piazza Unità d'Italia, the fountain was moved back to the center. Unfortunately, in recent years, the sculptural composition has become a victim of vandals a few times. Out of the four statues, only the one that epitomizes Europe was not damaged. In 2008, the statue symbolizing Africa was decapitated at night. And in 2015, a mentally unbalanced local resident climbed the fountain and caused serious damage with...

Created between 1751 and 1754 by Giovanni Battista Mazzoleni, this Baroque-style fountain symbolizes the four known continents at the time—Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Between the allegorical figures of each continent are representations of major rivers. Notably, the figure symbolizing the Nile is veiled, reflecting the fact that the river's source was unknown at the time. At the top of the fountain stands a winged female figure representing Trieste, surrounded by elements such as crates, bales of cotton, and ropes, all symbolizing the city’s commercial prosperity. In 1938, the fountain was dismantled to accommodate Benito Mussolini’s visit to Trieste and was stored in the Orto Lapidario (Lapidary Garden). It was restored and reinstalled in 1970, though placed slightly west of its original location. In 2000, during a broader renovation of the square, the fountain was moved back to its original position in front of...

This beautiful fountain sculpture has been vandalised, which is really sad.

The Fontana dei Quattro Continenti (Fountain of the Four Continents) was created by the Bergamo sculptor Giovanni Battista Mazzoleni.

The world is represented by four allegorical statues that recall the traits of the people who lived in the then known continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and America).

The water flowed from four allegorical figures of rivers, always indicating the continents. The representation of the Nile has a veiled face, in fact the sources were then unknown.

On the top of the fountain stands a winged female figure with open arms representing Trieste. Lying on the rocks of the Carso, the statue is surrounded by parcels, bales of cotton and ropes. As a symbolic image of a city that welcomed traders from all over the world and, to a greater extent,...