THE NASONI

When in Rome… I can’t help but marvel at the seemingly endless abundance of water within the city, brought to life through spectacular fountains with water cascading over gigantic chiselled marble figures. However, after spending more time in ‘The City of Seven Hills’, I have found that the most prolific water fountains often go unnoticed. These are simple, mass-produced drinking fountains called Nasoni, scattered throughout the city and often seemingly discarded on a kerbside or building edge but arguably contributing to Rome’s public character nonetheless.

AMY THOMPSON Landscape Architect and Director Yes& Studio Landscape Architects www.yesand.studio

These fountains, largely unchanged in design since their introduction in 1872, are one-metre-tall cast iron columns, which get their name from their characteristic free-flowing ‘large nose’ waterspout that can be plugged to deliver a clean spout of drinking water. At the peak of their popularity, there were approximately 5000 in Rome, and whilst their number has dwindled, there are still more than 500 within the historic city core alone!

I expected to find the Nasoni to be a cute tourist quirk — a remnant of a time gone by. But their importance endures, supporting businesses and residents as well as providing dignity to those without a home. This persistent usefulness comes to life in squares where the Nasoni support markets and trade. In these spaces, this resource is used to wash fruit, keep flowers hydrated, and clean out the squares when the markets pack up at night, making important contributions to the spatial characteristics of the city whilst enabling its continued vibrant use.