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Fountain of the 99 Spouts

L'Aquila's 1272 fountain of ninety-nine masks, fed by a spring no one has ever traced.

  • L'Aquila
  • Fountain
Plan your visit
Where
L'Aquila
Best for
Ninety-nine carved masks
Allow
20 minutes
Tickets
Free

Ninety-nine carved stone masks have poured water into this trapezoidal courtyard since 1272, one spout for each of the villages local tradition credits with founding L'Aquila under Frederick II's federation of Abruzzese communities.

No one has ever traced the underground source that feeds them, a mystery the fountain has kept for more than seven centuries. The three retaining walls, faced in a checkerboard of white and pink stone, step down below street level, so the fountain reveals itself only as visitors descend toward it. The 1703 earthquake that killed over three thousand people in L'Aquila left the fountain largely unscathed, and it survived the 2009 earthquake as well, remaining the city's most visited monument through every disaster.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The ninety-three masks and six plain spoutsAttributed in part to Tancredi da Pentima, 1272; later fronts 1582 and 1744

    Every mask is different. Tradition links the ninety-nine spouts to the ninety-nine castles that founded L’Aquila.Along the three walls of the sunken square

  2. The checkerboard stonework15th-century cladding

    White and pink stone from the Genzano di Sassa quarry, the same pattern as the façade of Santa Maria di Collemaggio.On the walls

  3. The inscribed plaque13th to 19th century

    Records the 1272 construction and later restorations, a neat way to read the fountain as a layered monument.Wall facing the entrance gate

  4. The five stepped basins

    Set at slightly different levels, they were built for washing laundry and were used that way until the early 20th century.Below the masks

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
20 minutes
Best time
Late afternoon, when the low sun catches the checkerboard stone walls
Getting there
A short walk from L'Aquila's historic center, just inside the old walls near Porta Rivera.
Accessibility
Steps lead down into the sunken courtyard; there is no step-free route to the fountain level.

Count the masks yourself: locals still argue over whether all ninety-nine are original or a few were added in later restorations.

Get directionsGoogle MapsApple Maps

Good to know

How long should you spend at the Fountain of the 99 Spouts?

Twenty minutes is enough. It is a single walled square that you take in by walking down the steps and along the masks. Linger longer if you like photography in low sun.

Is the Fountain of the 99 Spouts worth visiting?

Yes, as a short stop. It is one of L’Aquila’s earliest civic monuments, and the sunken square with its checkerboard walls is unlike any other fountain in Italy. It survived the 2009 earthquake with only light damage and was restored afterward.

Can you combine the Fountain of the 99 Spouts with other L’Aquila sights?

Yes. It sits in the Borgo Rivera area, inside the old walls, so pair it with the basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, which uses the same white and pink stone pattern. A short loop through the historic center fills out the morning.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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