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The Porter

The Porter is one of Rome’s "speaking statues" and, unlike the others, dates from the late Renaissance rather than antiquity. It was made around 1580, based on a drawing by Jacopino del Conte for the Corporazione degli Aquaroli. The sculpture shows a man in a cap and long-sleeved shirt carrying a barrel; water flows from the center of the barrel, making it a fountain. The figure represents an acquarolo, a water seller who brought water from the Tiber to the streets of Rome before the papal repair of the aqueducts. Its face is badly damaged from stones thrown over the years, as people associated the soft cap with Martin Luther. Originally on the via del Corso, it was moved in 1874 to its current location on the side of the same building on via Lata.

The Porter fountain statue of a bearded man in a cap pouring water from a barrel into a basin.
The Porter, one of Rome’s talking statues, shown as a fountain with a bearded figure pouring water into a basin.
November 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Porter fountain statue in Rome, showing a stout man holding a barrel with water flowing into a basin below.
The Porter fountain statue in Rome, set into a stone wall along Via Lata.
November 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Porter fountain carved into a wall, with a man holding a barrel as water pours into a basin.
The Porter fountain carved into the wall of a building in Rome.
June 2006 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Porter fountain statue, shown as a small figure carrying a barrel over his shoulder beside a building.
The Porter, a small fountain statue, stands on a raised base along the street.
1665 © · Public domain
The Porter appears as a small dark detail on the ground floor of a palace facade.
The Porter shown as a tiny detail on the ground floor of the palace facade.
1753 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleIl Facchino
TypeFountain; one of the six Talking Statues of Rome
English titleThe Porter

Historical context

Date of creationcirca 1580

Creator

DesignerJacopo del Conte
Commissioned byCorporazione degli Aquaroli
Artist attributionAttributed by Luigi Vanvitelli in 1751 to Michelangelo; actually sculpted by Florentine craftsmen

Discovery and provenance

Original locationVia del Corso, on the main facade of Palazzo De Carolis Simonetti, near Piazza Venezia, Rome
Current locationSide facade of Palazzo De Carolis Simonetti (now Banco di Roma) on Via Lata, Rome
Relocation date1874
Relocation reasonMoved to avoid further vandalism and damage
Original functionPublic drinking fountain

Physical characteristics

Water featureWater flows from the barrel, forming a fountain
ConditionThe face is badly damaged and almost completely worn away
Depicted figureA man wearing a cap and a long-sleeved shirt, carrying or pouring water from a barrel

Iconography and meaning

Historical context of subjectRepresents the period before the Roman aqueducts were repaired and public fountains resumed under papal orders
Name originThe name comes from the porters' corporation (fachini)
Alternative identificationsMartin Luther; Abbondio Rizio
Subject interpretationProbably an acquarolo, a water carrier who fetched water from the Tiber or public fountains to resell it in the streets of Rome; the identification was uncertain
Popular identificationPopular tradition identified it as Martin Luther because of the soft cap, barrel, and clothes

History and restoration

Cause of damageRepeatedly struck by paving stones thrown by passersby and children over the years
Former inscriptionA lost Latin inscription associated the figure with Abbondio Rizio and the porter trade; it disappeared during the last transfer to Via Lata
Lost accessoriesThe original shell-shaped basin and marble frame were lost during relocation

Other

Public useIt received satirical pasquinades posted beside it and served as a voice for anonymous criticism of public figures in Rome

Significance

Age statusThe youngest of the Talking Statues of Rome