At the foot of the steps that bridge the height difference between via IV Novembre and via XXIV Maggio, which give the name to Via della Cordonata, is the only Roman Nasone – drinking water fountain – with three spouts: the Fontana delle Tre Cannelle.
The simple cast iron fountain present today commemorates a previous fountain designed by Giacomo Della Porta in 1590. It was positioned in Piazza delle Tre Cannelle, a square which no longer exists having given way to the creation of Via IV Novembre after the Unification of Italy. The present-day fountain is a model produced by the Municipality of Rome since 1874, generally referred to as a nasone (big nose) by the city’s inhabitants because of the shape of the metal spouts, although early examples, such as this, actually featured small dragon heads.
The fountain, the space across from it, the steps and the residential building to one side were all consecrated in Italian cinema history with Big Deal on Madonna Street - I soliti ignoti (Mario Monicelli 1958) which used the location as the setting for the theft, key incident in the story.
Roma Lazio Film Commission
Via Parigi 11 – 00185, Roma
Phone: +39 06 72286273/320
Fax: +39 06 722 1127
Email: info@romalaziofilmcommission.it
