Fountain Residenzplatz in Salzburg by Eus Driessen

About "Fountain Residenzplatz in Salzburg"

by Eus Driessen

About the artwork

This beautiful fountain stands in the middle of Residenzplatz. It is a large, impressive fountain that is said to be the largest and most beautiful Baroque fountain outside Italy.

The Residenzbrunnen is a great fountain, but definitely an old one. It was commissioned between 1656 and 1661 by the then archbishop (Guidobals Graf von Thun und Hohenstein), by Italian sculptor Tommaso di Garona. The marble used for the fountain comes from nearby Untersberg.

Everything about this fountain exudes Baroque, down to the smallest detail. The 15-metre-high entity represents a water scene. If you look closely, you can see four water-spouting horses draped around a rock. On the rock itself are three naked giants carrying a bowl on their shoulders. In that bowl are large dolphins who in turn hold up an extra basin with their tails. This is then followed by the climax: sea god Triton. From his conch shell horn he blows a high jet of water.

Nowadays, the whole thing runs on a water pump, but it used to be done differently. Through all kinds of water pipes that gathered in Brunnhausgasse, the water was led from Hellbrunn to the fountain. It was an ingenious system back then, which required a lot of thinking. Water also came from the Unterberg, which was very pure and clear. The bishops used this as drinking water for centuries, with the Residenz spring playing an important role.

The spring was restored at a cost of one million euros from July 2008 to June 2009. This was also necessary. Steps added over the centuries were removed, the fountain was cleared of algae deposits, frost damage, etc. The fountain now looks beautiful again!