Fontana dei Libri

The fountain of books, made of travertine in 1927 by Pietro Lombardi, is located via degli Staderari, which practically divides Palazzo Madama from Palazzo della Sapienza, the current seat of the state archives and the ancient university until 1935.

The fountain, enclosed in a niche, is next to the Palazzo della Sapienza. In the center, there is a deer’s head, an emblem of the Sant’Eustachio district, and a reference to the episode of the conversion to Christianity of Sant’Eustachio. On the sides, there are four books placed on two shelves.

Water flows from the two upper volumes and two bookmark-shaped spouts from the lower ones, symbolizing the knowledge that flows from these ancient books.