Pianoro
Subject: Springs and Fountains
Toponym: Torre dei Lupari
Type: Fountain
Municipality: Pianoro
Locality: Pianoro
Description
In the courtyard of the Lupari Tower there is basin with a finely crafted fountain: a face carved in low relief on a marble slap depicts a being of an alarming appearance, with a mass of curly hair and two dragon, or perhaps butterfly wings at the temples. Two snakes facing each other can be seen at the back.
The wording above, "COMMODITATI PUBLICAE PRECARIO", means "granted by grace for public use ".
The trough is fashioned from a single block of stone and, given its size, is quite remarkable; the fountain is likely to date from the same period as the tower, i.e. the 15th century.
The only grating feature is the disproportionately sized tap inserted in the mouth of the figure, as a replacement for the original bronze pipe, which seems to ridicule the work as a whole.