Architectural harmony is the essence of Piazza Navona, Roma. The square counterbalances elements of human decadency with the blessings and powers of ancient gods. On the south side is Fountana del Moro, fed by the Acqua Virgo aqueduct.

Fontana del Moro is one of the oldest fountains in Rome, first assigned by Giacomo della Porta, in 1575 by Pope Gregory XIII. It is composed of Carrara marble and pink marbles for the mixtilinear basin, pictured here. The original plans included four tritons and placed in the fountain that resides in Piazza del Popolo. This plan was never realized.

Instead, Bernini was commissioned to add a central element in 1655. This character is Neptune, who resembles a Moor/African/Ethiopian figure, part fish, part human, according to sources. Standing on his shell, he eternally wrestles a dolphin, an allegory for his control over the ocean waters.

This is especially interesting as the gods were generally perceived as light-skinned in Greek and Roman literature. Within Fontana del Moro, we have one of the first instances of dark-skinned representation of the gods, forever carved in stone.

Bernini's fantastic technical skill added the finishing element that makes this fountain timeless. The water flows as a delicate, glowing blade from the dolphins mouth. Water transforms into light within the Moor Fountain, a metamorphosis that encapsulates the landscape of Piazza Navona.