Caput Mundi: Restoration of the Cupid's Fountain in Villa Doria Pamphilj

Caput Mundi Next Generation EU for touristic great events (Mission 1, Component 3, Investment 4.3)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan increases the number of accessible tourist sites in Rome, creating valid and qualified tourist and cultural alternatives with respect to the crowded central areas, as well as increasing the use of digital technologies, enhance green areas and the sustainability of tourism. The investment envisages six lines of interventions:
1. “Roman Cultural Heritage for EU-Next Generation”, covering the regeneration and restoration of cultural and urban heritage and complexes of high historical-architectural value of the city of Rome;
2. “Jubilee paths” (from pagan to Christian Rome), targeted to the enhancement, safety, anti-seismic consolidation, restoration of places and buildings of historical interest and archaeological pathways;
3. #LaCittàCondivisa, covering the redevelopment of sites in peripheral areas;
4. #Mitingodiverde, covering interventions on parks, historical gardens, villas and fountains;
5. #Roma 4.0, covering the digitalization of cultural services and the development of apps for tourists;
6. #Amanotesa, aimed at increasing the supply of cultural offer to peripheries for social integration.

The investment is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility by EUR 500 million and includes this project.
The restoration will repair vandalism damage to the Fountain of the Putto by restoring decorative fleurs-de-lis, cleaning the basin, repairing the water features, and enhancing the lighting, following initial maintenance that removed biological and limescale deposits. This project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 393000. The fountain is currently in poor condition due to damage to its decorative elements and general lack of maintenance. It has suffered vandalism twice, in 2003 and most recently in April 2020, resulting in the systematic destruction of the 12 decorative fleurs-de-lis. Preliminary maintenance has already been carried out, including the removal of biological patina and limescale deposits, as well as the restoration of the profiles of the pillars and basins. The upcoming restoration activities will focus on historical-stylistic and conservative restoration, reconstruction and installation of surviving fragments of the heraldic fleurs-de-lis alongside the reproduction of missing copies, cleaning of the basin, restoration of the original water features (jeux d’eau), and enhancement of the lighting.