The fountain was commissioned by Count Gianfrancesco Orsini to modernize the town's water infrastructure.
Despite being named 'Seven Spouts' (Sette Cannelle), the fountain currently only features five working water outlets.
The water is piped into the fountain via the Medicean Aqueduct, a feat of engineering that traverses the volcanic tuff landscape.
The fountain was integrated into the existing 16th-century defensive wall to utilize the natural slope of the terrain.
It is constructed from local volcanic tuff rock, consistent with the majority of the town's historic buildings.
The Fontana delle Sette Cannelle is a historic Renaissance-style fountain located in the main square of Pitigliano, Tuscany. Constructed in 1545 by the Orsini counts, it features five distinct spouts, despite the name suggesting seven. It served as the primary water supply for the town’s residents for centuries, fed by an aqueduct system connected to the surrounding tuff cliffs. The structure is built into the supporting wall of the town's defensive fortifications. It remains a central landmark in Piazza della Repubblica, sitting directly across from the Palazzo Orsini.
From the center of the piazza with the fountain in the foreground and the Palazzo Orsini or the narrow alleyways of the historic center in the background.
Bring a reusable water bottle to fill up with the cold, potable mountain water directly from the fountain.
Visit the nearby Palazzo Orsini museum courtyard to view the fountain from an elevated architectural perspective.
Combine your visit with a walk to the Via Cava nearby to see the ancient Etruscan roads carved into the same tuff.
Do not attempt to climb or sit on the fountain ledge, as it is a protected historic monument.
