Sep 23, 2024
Fontebranda, 13th century fountain in Siena, Italy
Fontebranda was built in its current form by the Guild of the Woolmakers in 1246, but there is evidence of a fountain on this site dating back to at least 1081. The 13th century facade, with three Gothic arches and a crenelated roof, covers a tank fed by a large medieval network of underground aqueducts, extending over 25 kilometres. The water is no longer considered safe to drink, but originally the first basin provided drinking water to the Contrada, the second basin was for watering animals, and the third was for washing clothes, including the textiles produced by the Guild.
