When the heat becomes oppressive in the city, nothing is more welcome than a sip of cool water.
The well-known Roman “Nasoni” are the typical drinking fountains that can be found in many streets of the Eternal City and that you can discover with us by choosing one of our Colosseum Tours.
They have in fact become one of the best-known symbols of Rome.
These public water dispensers, so beloved by Romans and tourists especially in the summer heat, have a long and peculiar history behind them.
The history of Roman “Nasoni”
Roman fountains were born in the period between 1872 and 1874 when the then mayor Luigi Pinciani, decided to make drinking water available to citizens in a widespread and capillary way.
The initial design saw the nasoni made of cast iron and equipped with 3 spouts, two lateral and one frontal, in the shape of a dragon’s head.
Over the years, the nasoni lost their 3 water outlets to be fitted with a single curved spout, resembling a human nose, hence the nickname by which the Romans identified them.
Around 1980, the need to reduce water consumption in the capital convinced the City of Rome to interrupt the continuous flow of water by introducing an unsightly knob that had the function of turning on and off the outlet of the precious liquid.
This solution was not very successful, and gradually the knobs were removed.
ACEA, the company that manages the water supply in the city of Rome, has come to census more than 5,000 drinking fountains in the city area, but over time they have been reduced for various reasons.
Still today, however, there are at least a hundred in the historic center that become about 300 if we extend the count within the city walls.
Where to find the three remaining “Nasoni” with 3 spouts
We said at the beginning of this story that the nasoni lost their initial three spouts to be equipped with a single vent but there are 3 exceptions, still attractions for enthusiasts today.
One, perhaps the one with the most peculiar history, is located in Via della Cordonata, a few steps from the Mercati di Traiano, and was unwittingly featured in Mario Monicelli’s film “I soliti ignoti”.
On Via della Cordonata, at the beginning of the long flight of steps, a discerning eye discovers a very special one, it has three spouts in the shape of small dragons and is placed on top of a pedestal. It is one of the oldest nasoni in Rome, the daddy of all the others, it has quenched the thirst of generations of Romans in the most diverse periods of recent history.
A second stands in the Piazza del Pantheon and has recently been restored.
The third is less prominent and is located in Via di San Teodoro, a special corner between the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus.
These unique and special specimens of 3-spouted nosegays are recounted in ‘InLiberty Photographs’ shots.
