Medieval Fountain

The elegant fountain in Via Concerie, a few steps away from the Sanctuary Mater Domini, is known as the “medieval fountain” in Laterza, but actually it dates back to the Roman period, then embellished with sixteenth-century decorations, and it has always been used by the citizens in Laterza for daily needs.

In 1544 the marquise D’Azzia ordered to build an open-air carparo stone (calcareous stone typical of Puglia) channel to connect the old Roman aqueduct, of which today only the arches can be seen, with the water source. This aqueduct had to direct the water to the new fountain. It is still possible to read the date in which it was built and the coat of arms of two noble families, the rake of D’Azzia family and the weapon of Brancaccio family.

Through a concrete pipe, the water is collected in a cistern and pours out of the holes, decorated by bronze masks of the Renaissance. From here, water is poured into a drinking trough, then it reaches a small basin and, in the end, arrives to the “sciuvilo” canal, which flows into the bottom of the Gravina (ravine).