Walking along Via Giulia, a few steps from the rear side of Palazzo Farnese, on the left you will see the characteristic forms of the Fontana del Mascherone. We all know that Rome excels for the quality of its fountains, from the incredibly monumental ones such as the Trevi Fountain to the slightly more rustic and particular ones, such as the Fontana dei Libri or that of the Porter. Surely even this one here in Via Giulia, however, will surprise you. For one reason in particular.

Probably commissioned by the Farnese family (we have the lily, the family's heraldic symbol par excellence, to decorate the fountain), which built a sort of enclave in the area, realizing various buildings, the fountain was completed in the first half of the 17th century. The one who designed it, Girolamo Rainaldi, thought well of reusing ancient pieces to assemble the work. After all, the history of Rome itself required clients or artists to reuse what ancient Rome offered, whether they were columns, reliefs or, as in this case, a granite basin. A sort of assemblage completed by this mask, specially sculpted four centuries ago, which however fully follows the Roman culture which used such masks for works that had to do with the water element. After all, the Romans themselves used to personify rivers, lakes or entire oceans, describing them as elderly men with long beards. And let's not forget how the manhole covers themselves, in some cases, had the shape of a large mask as, for example, in the famous case of the Mouth of Truth! A simple fountain, therefore, shows us two interesting aspects of Roman culture: the reuse of ancient material and the personification of natural elements by the ancient Romans. But the real peculiarity of the fountain lies in the fact that, according to some chronicles, not only water came out of the mouth of the mask, as the original project actually envisaged. It seems that, to underline the extraordinary wealth and opulence in their possession, the Farnese managed to make the very tasty red wine flow! Imagine how happy the populace could be, understanding that for such joy and fun they had to thank a family who, like the Borghese or Barberini later, managed to put Rome in the face thanks to one of their members elected as pope.

In fact, we think of Alessandro Farnese, with the name of Paul III, who gave a new impulse to Roman life, also giving prestige to his family. From here we arrive at similar works, with fountains that can give wine instead of water. It seems to be at the typical wine festival in Marino, an area not far from Rome, where recently a very good wine is made to flow from a public fountain, to the delight of the participants. This detail also shows how much, from a certain point of view, many noble families loved to show off their opulence and wealth. Not only by commissioning grandiose palaces (Michelangelo was also involved in the construction of Palazzo Farnese, for example), or by decorating their interiors with extraordinary frescoes or incredible sculptures. No, since all the people had to participate in the family wealth. And the Fontana del Mascherone in Rome has been here for centuries to remind us of this.