The Piano fountain is located in the medieval quarter of Pianoscarano di Viterbo and hides at least two interesting stories, one of which tells of its destruction and reconstruction in 1367.
The first concerns a dispute between the people and the papal court in which the Viterbo people showed all their belligerent spirit. It was 1367 and Pope Urban V was returning from Avignon to Rome and made a stop in Viterbo. A servant of one of the French cardinals began to wash his dog at the fountain which at that time was the main source of drinking water for the population of the whole neighborhood.
A woman rebelled and was killed in a bloody way giving rise to a fierce struggle between the people and the papal gendarmerie. The battle was so strong that the Pope had to ask for reinforcements from neighboring villages and in the end 10 Viterbo people were hanged, many were imprisoned and houses, towers and the famous fountain from which the riot was born were demolished.
Some prelates also wanted to demolish the walls of the city, but the cardinals pointed out to the pope how important Viterbo had been for the affirmation of the papacy in upper Lazio.
The fountain was then rebuilt in the forms we see today: a large circular basin placed above some steps and a central spindle from which the water distribution pipes emerge. Its peculiarity is the hexagonal shape of the spindle whose faces are adorned with 5 heads of lions and a human figure, each of which is framed by Gothic columns and arches.
Another story about this fountain tells of the life that took place in the neighborhood, especially during the grape harvest.
People used to come to the fountain to wash the barrels, baskets and all the equipment used to collect grapes and make wine, so a great crowd was created and quarrels broke out. The municipality then decided to intervene and create a criterion to establish the order of use of the fountain. It was decided to have a race and favor those who took the shortest time to roll the barrel on the uphill road leading to the fountain.
This is how the Barrel Palio (palio delle botti) was born, which still takes place every year during the grape festival. On this occasion, wine is released from the fountain.
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