The Turtle Fountain: Rome's most charming fountain

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe) is tucked away on little Piazza Mattei, in the Ghetto district, 5 minutes from Campo de' Fiori: four bronze youths rest a foot on dolphins and nudge turtles up towards the upper basin with their fingertips. Designed by Giacomo della Porta and finished in 1588, it is one of the most refined fountains of the Roman Renaissance, and one of the few without a crowd. It is free to see, day and night, and takes about 10 minutes.

Highlights

Landini's four youths

The bronze young men, the work of the Florentine sculptor Taddeo Landini, stand on African marble shells, one foot on the head of a dolphin whose mouth spouts water. The slender lines and graceful bodies are Mannerist, and the fountain was made between 1581 and 1588 for the Mattei family.

The turtles, added in the 17th century

The four bronze turtles climbing onto the rim of the upper basin were added around 1658-1659, during a restoration under Pope Alexander VII. They are usually attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, sometimes to Andrea Sacchi. One turtle was stolen in 1979: the turtles you see today are copies.

The legend of Duke Mattei

According to legend, Duke Muzio Mattei, ruined by gambling, had the fountain built in a single night to impress his future father-in-law, then had the palace window from which the work could be seen walled up. Historians see it as a good story: the work took years and Palazzo Mattei di Giove was not finished until 1616.

The palaces around the square

Piazza Mattei is surrounded by the palaces of the Mattei family, built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The fountain, restored in 2006, was designed to bring water from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct to local residents, like seventeen other fountains in the Rome of Gregory XIII.

Practical info

Tips

The square is small and the fountain photographs best early in the morning or late in the evening, with no passers-by in the frame. Do not climb on the rim and do not touch the turtles. The fountain opens onto Ghetto alleys: take the chance to carry on along Via del Portico d'Ottavia and its Roman-Jewish restaurants.

How to get there

Piazza Mattei, 00186 Rome, in the Sant'Angelo rione, a 5-minute walk from Largo di Torre Argentina and Campo de' Fiori. No metro station nearby: tram 8, Arenula/Cairoli stop, a 2-minute walk; buses 40, 46, 62, 64 and 70 to Largo di Torre Argentina.