Fontana Pretoria
On Gingerguide's self-guided Palermo audio tour, Fontana Pretoria is a stop worth about ~20 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Palermo Palermo guide
About Fontana Pretoria
A magnificent 16th-century fountain of white Carrara marble featuring fifty nude mythological figures, so scandalous to locals that it became known as the Fountain of Shame.
The Fontana Pretoria is one of the most remarkable Renaissance fountains in Italy, and its presence in the centre of Palermo is the result of one of the most extraordinary real estate transactions in Sicilian history. The fountain was created in Florence in 1554 by sculptor Francesco Camilliani, commissioned by Don Luigi di Toledo (son of the Viceroy of Naples) for his garden in Florence. It comprised fifty marble figures, river gods, nymphs, tritons, sea monsters, and mythological creatures, arranged in concentric circular tiers around a central spray. In 1573, the fountain was sold by Don Luigi's heirs to the city of Palermo, dismantled, and transported by sea. The Palermitani were scandalised by the nudity of the figures and dubbed it the Fontana della Vergogna, the Fountain of Shame. It was installed in Piazza Pretoria beside the Town Hall, where it still stands today, presiding over one of the most beautiful squares in all of southern Italy.
Did you know? The fountain was designed for a private garden in Florence and only ended up in Palermo because its owner's heirs needed to raise cash, the city paid 30,000 scudi for it in 1573.
How much time do you need at Fontana Pretoria?
Around ~20 min works well for Fontana Pretoria — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Fontana Pretoria?
Yes — Fontana Pretoria made the cut as one of 22 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Palermo. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Palermo
Hear the story of Fontana Pretoria
Preview the Palermo tour free in the Gingerguide app.