Vedute del Castello dell' Acqua Paola sul Monte Aureo c. 1751

Giovanni Battista Piranesi made this print of the Acqua Paola fountain in Rome in the mid-18th century. Piranesi’s image captures a moment in the city’s ongoing drama of providing water to its citizens, and it is part of a larger series called “Vedute di Roma” or “Views of Rome.” Note how the artist has arranged the composition in a way that emphasizes the grandeur of the fountain, but the inclusion of everyday people suggests a deeper story. In eighteenth-century Rome, water was not just a practical necessity, but a symbol of power and a means of social control. Papal authorities invested heavily in aqueducts and fountains, shaping the urban landscape. Piranesi's work invites us to consider not only the aesthetic qualities of the fountain but also its role in shaping the social and political life of Rome. To understand this image better, we can consult archival records of Rome's urban planning and social histories of water access and distribution.