Go back
Fontanella al Convento

Fontanella al Convento

Fountains
Period
20th century
The place

Small historic fountain near the Convent, in the historic centre of San Felice Circeo, part of the network of water points that served the village before modern water infrastructure, in a densely built urban area around the medieval religious and baronial core.

The little fountain at the Convent, in Piazza Mazzini, has two spouts: one connected to the public water supply and the other fed by a spring further up, still used today by residents of the historic centre in summer. The fountain is contemporary, carved by Giuseppe Galluccio, and depicts the famous Mouth of Truth. Many legends surround this “bearded face”, usually made of stone, often believed to have magical powers. In the Middle Ages it was said to be able to expose lies. It is hard to establish the origin of this ancient image, already known in Roman times, which has inspired more recent literature and cinema.

Curiosities

Did you know?

A little gem to share with your travel companions.

Local oral legends say that both Fontana Copella and the little fountain at the convent were visited, on full-moon nights, by a werewolf from San Felice, last sighted in the 1970s! The werewolf myth has ancient origins and is part of popular Latin culture. Very common in the folklore of Mediterranean and European peoples, it was in small farming villages that frightening tales of witches and werewolves were told, beliefs that over time found their way into literature and cinema.