Fontana Maggiore CARDS
The CARDS of the FONTANA MAGGIORE of Perugia
“Take a look, you who are passing by this wonderful fountain. If you observe carefully you’ll see some marvelous things”. This is what the Fontana Maggiore of Perugia whispers to us in one of its finely engraved writings.
What can you read in the figures, in the actions, objects, physical postures, clothing and other details of this amazing sculptural monument?
THE PROJECT
THE CARDS of the FONTANA MAGGIORE of PERUGIA project comes from the desire to replicate the original sculptures and bas-reliefs of the fountain by drawing them on a deck’s cards. They’re printed on a special paper the size of a game card in order to keep the same playful nature of the fountain.
There is a total of 78 cards combined with a booklet in which each drawing is complemented by a small writing, phrase or story. The deck is divided into 3 sections: the first one from nr. 1 to 50 related to the lower basin, the second one from nr. 1 to 24 related to the upper basin while the third section includes four cards with no number. You can consider them as jolly or wild cards.
This deck was designed for different purposes: as a sort of compass to help you navigate the fountain sculptures while observing them; you can play with the cards on a desk by creating visual references between images and characters; finally as an evocative Tarot like deck for personal growth.
HISTORY
The Fontana Maggiore of Perugia was inaugurated in Perugia in 1278, a time in which the municipal power went hand in hand with the Church state power and the Emperor’s power and was represented by the Podestà and by Captain of the People.
The Fountain was the work of famous sculptors Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni Pisano, architect Fra Bevignate, hydraulic engineer Boninsegna da Venezia and foundry master Rubeus the Red.
The makers of the Fountain weren’t only the afore-mentioned experts, but also all the wealthy and powerful families of Medieval Perugia who contributed with their finances. They invested in the Fountain itself as well as in the construction of the new aqueduct of Monte Pacciano. The aqueduct brought water to the fountain and it took 23 years to be completed.
The Fontana Maggiore represents something unique in the history of medieval art. It is a civic art work in which the Pisanos wrote, through the symbolic and iconographic language of sculpture, a precious narration full of characters, saints, animals, allegories, myths and human actions. It represents a 13th century’s vision of the world and of what in medieval times was considered earthly, spiritual and divine such as the sense of time, the cycle of life, the value of manual and intellectual work.​
THE CARDS OF THE FONTANA MAGGIORE OF PERUGIA
By ECATEFELICE ™
Idea, concept design and texts by Carlotta Flora Calderazzo
A special thanks for the collaboration to:
- Micaela Mariani for the cards drawing
- Alexandra Amariei for the English translation
- Arch. Paolo E.Rolli for the elevation view of the Fontana Maggiore
- Inventoweb.it for the web site
- Koaku for video editing of “Unlikely dialogue”
