Fontana Maggiore

The Fontana Maggiore stands at the centre of Piazza IV Novembre — and at the centre of everything that Perugia does well. Built between 1275 and 1278, it is one of the finest medieval fountains in Italy: two pink-and-white marble basins covered in reliefs by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, depicting the months, the zodiac, Aesop's fables, and biblical scenes with a vitality that doesn't feel 750 years old.

The fountain still functions, water running over the Pisano reliefs into the basins below. Sit at the steps of the adjacent Palazzo dei Priori and watch the piazza work through its daily cycle: schoolchildren in the morning, tourists at midday, students in the evening. The piazza is one of the finest medieval public spaces in Italy, and the Fontana Maggiore is its best argument.

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A story
The Fontana Maggiore took 15 years to build (1275–1278) and was designed by Fra Bevignate with sculptural work by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano — among the finest medieval sculpture in Italy. The reliefs on the lower basin depict the months of the year, the signs of the zodiac, and scenes from the Old Testament, while the upper basin carries statues of saints and civic figures. For centuries it was the most costly artistic commission the city had ever undertaken, a statement of Perugia's independence and wealth at the height of its communal power.