The Fraterna Fountain is a monumental public fountain in Isernia, characterised by six water jets and a loggia-style structure, built from blocks of compact limestone of various origins. The fountain’s architecture consists of three superimposed sections: the lower section features smooth slabs, including a Roman inscription and a bas-relief depicting dolphins and a flower. The central section consists of six round arches supported by small columns of varying shapes, whilst the upper section features twelve hanging arches decorated with zoomorphic, phytomorphic and geometric motifs.
At the base of the fountain are Roman-era blocks bearing funerary decorations and inscriptions. On the right-hand side, an early medieval epigraph flanked by two lion protomes refers to the construction of a fountain. Analysis of the surfaces confirms that the blocks originate from different buildings and were worked in different periods, making the fountain an important historical and artistic artefact.
The present-day Fraterna Fountain was built in 1835 in Largo Concezione, combining elements from two pre-existing fountains: a five-spout fountain near the Cathedral and another three-spout fountain, which had previously stood in the same square and was damaged by the 1805 earthquake. The enigmatic ‘Rampiniani’ epigraph, set into the fountain, comes from one of these two fountains; it bears an inscription and a coat of arms featuring a hooked cross, possibly belonging to the Rampino family.
The Roman inscriptions visible on the fountain had already been documented in the 19th century. In 1844, Mommsen observed the epigraph ‘AE PONT’ in the Fountain of the Conception, confirming that it originated from the market fountain. The fountain has undergone several relocations and alterations: in 1889 it was moved to Via Marcelli and in 1943, having been destroyed by bombing, it was rebuilt after the war using the original pieces.
Archival records show that the fountain was originally known as the ‘Fountain of the Immaculate Conception’ or ‘Faterna’, whilst the term ‘Fraterna Fountain’ only appeared in the 20th century. The fountain, listed among the most beautiful in Italy by the Treccani Encyclopaedia, is a historical, artistic and cultural symbol of the city of Isernia.