Viewpoint: The Fountain of Diana

Fountain of Diana, Syracuse, Sicily
Close-up of the fountain of Diana, Archimede square in Ortigia, Syracuse

The Fountain of Diana on Piazza Archimede in Ortigia is the work of the Italian sculptor Giulio Moschetti and was completed in 1907, two years before his death…

Giulio Moschetti was originally from Ascoli Piceno and had found fame in Rome but came to see himself as ‘an adopted Sicilian’ after going to live on the island to try to find a cure for his chronic ill-health. This work is in concrete, which is not uncommon these days but at the time was very experimental and avant-garde. The sculptural group (of which this image shows just a part) was cleaned and restored to its original glory just last year. You can see more of Moschetti’s work at the Teatro Massimo in Catania and at the Teatro Bellini in Adrano. He also made a statue celebrating Catania’s Industry and Commerce for the façade of the city’s railway station, but unfortunately that is no longer there.