Fontana Dei Leoni Egizi

Fontana Dei Leoni Egizi

Fontana Dei Leoni Egizi
3.5
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Duration: < 1 hour
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Neighborhood: Campitelli
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  • PATO-BETO
    San Martin, Argentina20,690 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    TWO EGYPTIAN LIONS
    At the foot of the cordonata we see two Egyptian lions from whose mouths spring jets of water that fall into large containers. Made of basalt. In 1562, Pope Pius IV donated them to the Roman people to decorate the place. It's always nice to see felines, their features are incredible.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 1, 2024
  • Mairwen1
    United Kingdom12,096 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Marking the Start of the Cordonata Staircase Up to Capitoline Hill
    The best way to approach the Capitoline Hill is by walking up the Cordonata Staircase. There is an awful lot to see here, starting with these two ancient Egyptian lions that stand guard, sphinx-like at the bottom of the staircase. Originally from ancient Egypt, the large, black basalt lions date back to the 3rd or 4th century BC and once decorated the Temple of Isis. It was a common thing for lions to mark temple entrances in ancient Egypt as both guardians and symbols of power. It’s an interesting thing to think that this tradition is still common today. Twin lions are often seen at the entrance to formal homes and stately buildings. The Capitoline lions were converted to fountains in the 1500s. A small but steady jet springs from their open mouths into a large urn. When we saw them recently, the fountains were dry. In fact I barely noticed as the water is not the main feature of the fountains and it is the sleek, black figures of the lions that is the more impressive part.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 21, 2024
  • Brad
    Hong Kong, China181,101 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Egyptian style lion monuments at the foot of Codronata
    These are two lion fountains featuring Egyptian style lions resting no both sides and in front of the Cordonata entrance to Piazza del Campidoglio. The lions are made of black basalt and were created built as part of the ancient Temple of Isis and Serapis in the first century BC. The ruins of those grounds later became the Church of Santo Stefano del Cacco. It seems the lions remained there until the 14th-century when they were brought here to Capitoline Hill. The two lions were converted into fountains around 1587 when the two chalice basins were added and spouts inserted into the lion monuments. When seen during our recent March visit to Rome the fountains were not operating. But the lions themselves remain very interesting ancient statues to view.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 27, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles29 reviews
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Mairwen1
United Kingdom12,096 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This pair of ancient Egyptian lions stand at the bottom of Michelangelo’s Cordonata staircase like two sentries, marking the main entrance to the Piazza del Campidoglio and the top of the Capitoline Hill.
Black and shiny, the basalt lions were originally from Egypt where they probably decorated the Temple of Isis. They date back to the 3rd or 4th century BC and were only placed here in the 1500s. What we see here today are now copies (the originals are in the Vatican Museum).
Pleasingly, they also function as fountains, with the water coming from the mouths, just like the lions in Piazza del Popolo. We were curious about this because it seemed unlikely that fountains were a big thing in dry, desert-like Egypt. However the fountains are not original and were only added in the late 1500s.
There is a great story that in the 17th century when great celebrations were being held, it was a Roman party trick to replace the fountain water with wine. Red wine flowed from one lion, white from the other. It’s the sort of story that you hope really is true.
Written August 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rui_F74
Santo Tirso, Portugal18,558 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
In the lowest part of the Cordonata Capitolina, where the climb to Campidoglio square begins, we can see these two lions in black basalt, lying down side by side.
There were supposed to be two fountains, however there was no water when I passed by, despite there being a spout in each lion's mouth and a container in front and a little below, which would be very interesting if it worked.
It is believed that they were part of the decoration of an Egyptian sanctuary in Rome, from the 17th century. I BC
Google
Written August 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dapper777
Monaco68,498 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Friends
At the base of the wide staircase that leads from Piazza dell'Aracoeli to Piazza del Campidoglio,called 'cordonata' and designed by Michelangelo, architect Giacomo della Porta placed two Egyptian lions in black, red- veined basalt from Numidia (currently Algeria), that previously adorned the entrance to the church of St. Stephen del Cacco.
The two Egyptian lions were from the ancient sanctuary of the Egyptian goddess Isis in Campo Marzio.
In 1562 Pope Pius IV Medici placed them to decorate the staircase. When in 1587 the new Aqueduct dell'Acqua Felice was brought to the Capitoline Hill, the lions were adapted to fountains.
In the Christian tradition, the lion is a symbol of strength, courage and wisdom.
It is said that on the occasion of special ceremonies it was not the water but wine (white wine from the mouth of one lion and red wine fron the other one ) that gushed out from the fountains with great amusement of the people.
Just OK.
Written August 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Malgorzata
12,069 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
Beautiful fountains located at the beginning of the climb leading to Piazza del Campidoglio. Two Egyptian lions, originating from the Temple of Isis, were donated in the 16th century by Pope Pius VI of the Medici to the Romans to decorate the Michelangelesque stairs that led to Campidoglio. Really beautiful.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mairwen1
United Kingdom12,096 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
The best way to approach the Capitoline Hill is by walking up the Cordonata Staircase. There is an awful lot to see here, starting with these two ancient Egyptian lions that stand guard, sphinx-like at the bottom of the staircase.
Originally from ancient Egypt, the large, black basalt lions date back to the 3rd or 4th century BC and once decorated the Temple of Isis.
It was a common thing for lions to mark temple entrances in ancient Egypt as both guardians and symbols of power.
It’s an interesting thing to think that this tradition is still common today. Twin lions are often seen at the entrance to formal homes and stately buildings.
The Capitoline lions were converted to fountains in the 1500s. A small but steady jet springs from their open mouths into a large urn. When we saw them recently, the fountains were dry. In fact I barely noticed as the water is not the main feature of the fountains and it is the sleek, black figures of the lions that is the more impressive part.
Written May 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

The Spanish Steps Apartment
Rome, Italy36,246 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Friends
At the foot of the Cordonata (steps leading to the Capitoline Hill) lie two black ancient Egyptian lions. While they add to the attractive and balanced appearance of the Cordonata and the Capitoline, the lions themselves are in need of some restoration, and the fountains of which they are a part were dry as of April 2017.
Written April 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brad
Hong Kong, China181,101 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
These are two lion fountains featuring Egyptian style lions resting no both sides and in front of the Cordonata entrance to Piazza del Campidoglio.

The lions are made of black basalt and were created built as part of the ancient Temple of Isis and Serapis in the first century BC. The ruins of those grounds later became the Church of Santo Stefano del Cacco. It seems the lions remained there until the 14th-century when they were brought here to Capitoline Hill. The two lions were converted into fountains around 1587 when the two chalice basins were added and spouts inserted into the lion monuments.

When seen during our recent March visit to Rome the fountains were not operating. But the lions themselves remain very interesting ancient statues to view.
Written May 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SoCalOregonian
Murrieta, CA10,359 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019
These two lions sit at the bottom of the Cordonata. These were placed here in 1562 by Pope Pius IV to decorate the stairs. They are now currently fountains but on the day we visited both were dry.
Written October 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SuperTed19
Madison, WI750 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
With so many things to see in central Rome, it is easy to miss the smaller details. These lions are a good example of that. Until looking at our pictures while back at home, we did not realize these lions were actually fountains. Who knew?
Written August 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SoCalOregonian
Murrieta, CA10,359 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
The fountain lions are replicas of the black granite originals from the Temple of Isis. These twin fountains are at the foot of the lower balustrade of the Cordonata at Piazza dell’Aracoeli. These lions were placed in 1562 to decorate the cordonata, and adapted into fountains in 1588. Water was not flowing when we visited in April 2018
Written June 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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