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Herrería Fountain

Herrería Fountain is a Renaissance granite fountain in Pontevedra, Spain, located in the Casto Sampedro Gardens beside A Ferrería Square. It was financed by Charles V in 1537 to provide drinking water for pilgrims traveling the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela and to help solve local water shortages. The fountain was made by the Portuguese sculptor João Lopes, with the contribution of Domingo Fernández of Santiago de Compostela, and was completed in 1554. It was restored in the eighteenth century, dismantled in 1857, and later recovered through the efforts of Castelao and Casto Sampedro. The fountain was installed in its present location in 1928 and fully restored in 2010.

Herrería Fountain in a shallow green-tinged pool, with a stone building and rose window in the background.
The Herrería Fountain stands in front of a historic stone building in Pontevedra.
© · Public domain
Herrería Fountain in a tree-lined park with surrounding buildings
The Herrería Fountain stands in a landscaped park surrounded by urban buildings.
March 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Herrería Fountain with water cascading into a circular stone basin, with trees and mist in the background.
Herrería Fountain in the gardens, with water flowing into a wide stone basin.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Herrería Fountain rising in a crowded town square, topped with a statue.
The Herrería Fountain stands at the center of a busy town square, with people gathered around it.
1852 © J. Riestra · CC BY 4.0
Herrería Fountain with a reflection of the Virgen Peregrina church in dark water
Herrería Fountain reflecting the rounded dome and bell tower of the Virgen Peregrina church.
December 2015 © José Luis Filpo Cabana · CC BY 3.0

Identification

NameA Ferrería Fountain
TypeFountain
Original-language nameFonte da Ferraria

Historical context

Date of origin16th century
Commissioned byKing Charles V
Financing date1537
Completion date1554
Historical settingPontevedra was the most populous city in Galicia when the fountain was made
PurposeTo provide drinking water for pilgrims on the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela and alleviate the city's water shortage, especially in summer
Associated pilgrimage routePortuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago

Creator

Related comparable worksFountains in Caminha (1551) and Viana do Castelo (1554), Portugal
Model / inspirationInspired by Portuguese chafarizes, especially the main fountain in Caminha, which it was meant to match in workmanship, size, height, and execution
Builder / designerJoão Lopes, a Portuguese from Porto
CollaboratorDomingo Fernández of Santiago de Compostela

Discovery and provenance

Original locationSouthwestern part of A Ferrería Square, next to the Trabancas Gate of the Pontevedra city walls
Original intended settingIn the city next to the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago, to provide water for pilgrims and alleviate water scarcity
Current locationCasto Sampedro Gardens, in front of the Convent of San Francisco, Pontevedra, Spain
Custody after dismantlingIt remained under the custody of the Sociedad Arqueológica de Pontevedra; its pieces were deposited in the Convent of Santo Domingo
Recovery and reinstallationIn 1928, through the interest of Castelao and Casto Sampedro Folgar, the fountain was recovered and installed in the gardens of Casto Sampedro

Physical characteristics

Second bodyContains a basin that collects water from a smaller upper basin and drains through tubes from four sculpted mythological figures
LightingOrnamental lighting
InscriptionVerses of a popular song dedicated to Pontevedra's hospitality, inscribed on a stone slab attached to the west side of the basin
Additional decorationFour additional mythological heads with tubes emerging from their mouths
Third bodyCrowned by two coats of arms
Spout arrangementThree levels
First bodyRises from a square or quadrangular base
StructureA central shaft with three bodies, topped by a crowning element
Number of spouts14
Shape of baseSquare
Shape of basinCircular

Materials

MaterialGranite
Internal piping materialCopper tubes

Iconography and meaning

SymbolismIts carved symbolism reflects its function as a fountain for pilgrims
DedicationDedicated especially to pilgrims on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago
Historical note on city armsThe reverse coat of arms is described as the oldest existing representation of Pontevedra's coat of arms
Coat of armsOne shield bears the arms of Emperor Charles V with the Habsburg double-headed eagle; the reverse shows Pontevedra's arms supported by griffins

History and restoration

MaintenanceThe city council made agreements with specialists for upkeep; Francisco Gonçalves is the first known plumber
Maintenance payment6,000 maravedíes per year in 1597
Usage restrictionsWashing clothes and animal intestines in the fountain was prohibited, and horses were not allowed to drink there
Protective structureThe basin was surrounded by a protective circle with four entrances, and a trough was built
18th-century restorationRestored at the initiative of Félix Raimundo de Soto; the repairs and water supply cost almost ten thousand reales
1857 relocation attemptIn 1857, the city council decided to move the fountain from A Ferrería Square to in front of the Saint Ferdinand barracks for sanitary reasons, but it was dismantled and never moved
2010 restorationFully restored in 2010

Significance

Historical receptionAmbrosio de Morales was greatly impressed by the fountain; he said that in Saint Francis Square it could rival the fountains of Córdoba for size, height, workmanship, and gilding