The Fountain of Diana, was commissioned by the Town Council of Piazza Archimede
following the creation of Piazza Archimede in 1878. Located in the center of the square, the fountain was built by the sculptor Giulio Moschetti between 1906 and 1907 with the technique of reinforced concrete.
The fountain faces south, features a pyramidal composition and is inserted in the centre of a basin made of dark red concrete grit with some masks and coats of arms in classic style in the forms. The central group shows Diana standing on a rock, her arms pointing towards the figure of Aretusa in the act of transforming the nymph into a spring.
Diana is dressed in a draped tunic opened laterally to leave her right leg uncovered, on her shoulders she carries the quiver full of arrows while her dog follows her on the rock.
At Diana’s feet, Aretusa is depicted, lying down, with her eyes and right arm turned upwards when she is about to be transformed into a spring to escape, according to the myth, the love insistence of Alfeo. Alfeo is located to the right of Diana, amazed at what is happening to the nymph. Secondly, inside the basin there are four groups of sculptures representing four Tritons.
The two main characters, a man and a woman, sea monsters for half man and half fish, both ride a pistrice with their huge mouth wide open and their tail twisted.
The female figure holds a small one in her arms, while the other two groups depict two teenage newts riding two sea horses soaring on the waves.
Location: Piazza Archimede – Isola di Ortigia – Siracusa
