The oldest fountain in Catania, it withstood the great eruption of 1669 but also the earthquake of 1693, which is probably why it appears today at a lower level than the street level. Its waters, like those of the nearby fountain of the same name, come from the Amenano River, which became engorged following the sciara of 1669. These are the same waters that flow in the tepidarium of the Achillian baths, which can be accessed from the cathedral forecourt, or that surface among the stones of the orchestra at the Greek-Roman theater. The fountain is in the popular fish market in Di Benedetto Square, housed under a wide archway carved out of the base of the clerics' palace, practically standing on its foundation. As the plaque above the seven spouts reads, it was built in 1612, when King Philip III of Spain and viceroy Pietro Girone Count D'Ossuna was king. The fountain, lined with fine marble, was once used by the population to supply themselves with drinking water. Today that the goodness of the water is uncertain, access to the seven spouts is prevented by a grate.
Map
LA FONTANA DEI SETTE CANALI
Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto, 95131 CT Italia
