One of Milan’s most famous fountains
Giannino Castiglioni designed the fountain for a competition organised by the newspaper L’Italia in 1923.
The aim of the competition, which had water as its theme, was to create a monument dedicated to the patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi.
Castiglioni won with the design of an octagonal fountain cut out of simple granite blocks, measuring about 35 square metres.
The fountain depicts the Saint with a group of six bronze turtledoves.
On the rim are also carved verses from the Canticle of the Creatures
The fountain was designed and sculpted in Lierna, by Castiglioni himself, and was placed in front of the Church and Convent of St. Angelo, of the Friars Minor, in a corner of the square of the same name, planted with lime and elm trees, where we still find it today.
It was inaugurated by the city of Milan on 18 December 1927 and will soon celebrate its centenary.
