The added tortoises
Put in eighty years after the fountain was built and traditionally attributed to Bernini — the touch that completed it.
Livioandronico2013 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rijksmuseum — CC0 · Bradley Weber — CC BY 2.0 · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta — CC BY-SA 4.0
A small fountain in a quiet square inside the Jewish Quarter, which many consider the loveliest in Rome despite its size. Taddeo Landini carved it in 1588: four bronze youths leaning on dolphins, arms raised to the upper basin. The four tortoises that gave it its name were not in the original design — they were added some eighty years later, and their design is traditionally attributed to Bernini: one small touch that completed the composition and gave the youths something to push with their hands. The square itself is among the quietest and least visited in central Rome, though it stands five minutes from Largo di Torre Argentina and ten from the Pantheon. Sit on a bench and look at it — there is nothing to buy, no queue, no crowd. Combine it with a walk through the Ghetto: the Great Synagogue, the restaurant streets, and the ancient Portico of Octavia.
Put in eighty years after the fountain was built and traditionally attributed to Bernini — the touch that completed it.
One of Europe's oldest Jewish quarters, its narrow streets among the best eating in Rome.
Piazza Mattei, Jewish Quarter, Rome
largo di Torre ArgentinaAn archaeological pit in the middle of a busy traffic circle — holding four Repu2 minutes walk4.4
Piazza d'AracoeliA small square at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, where two famous stai4 minutes walk4.5
The Cordonata CapitolinaThe stair rising to the Piazza del Campidoglio on the Capitoline Hill, designed 5 minutes walk4.7
Palazzo VeneziaRome's first great Renaissance palace — and the most famous balcony in modern It5 minutes walk4.6
The Palazzo dei ConservatoriOne of the two palaces of the Capitoline Museums on the Piazza del Campidoglio, 5 minutes walk4.6Looking for halal food near Fontana delle Tartarughe? There are several options nearby, from Moroccan and Indian kitchens to quick casual spots and places with a view. Confirm the halal status and opening hours before you go — these can change.
Because its proportions are near-perfect, its movement quiet and continuous, and its setting undistracting. The great fountains impress you; this one settles you.
