Velika Onofrijeva česma, Dubrovnik

Velika Onofrijeva česma is a polygonal stone fountain beside the convent of the Poor Clares, near Pile Gate. Its remarkable story begins with water brought from a spring 12 kilometres away, through an undertaking not previously known in Europe. The Neapolitan builder Onofrio della Cava made the fountain in 1438 as part of Dubrovnik’s water system.

Water emerged through 16 stone mascarons, each shaped as a carved face. The form you see today dates from the rebuilding that followed the earthquake of 1667. The fountain remained in use until the end of the 19th century, making this carved structure part of the city’s everyday water supply for centuries. It also has a place in literature: part of Marin Držić’s Renaissance comedy Novela od Stanca unfolds here.