There were two broad classes of Tuscan water fountains known in the fifteenth century: the freestanding or “isolated” type, designed for the center of a piazza, court, or garden; and the “engaged” or wall fountain, placed against a wall at the end of a square or courtyard.
The only example of a Florentine wall fountain from this period is the handsome structure of pietra serena in the court of the Palazzo Orlandini, now the property of the Banca del Monte dei Paschi. This consists of a single niche crowned by an arch and framed by classical pilasters, the water falling from an ornamental spout within the recess into a basin placed at its foot.
Structures similar to wall fountains, known as lavabos, abound in Florentine churches and monasteries. These, although supplied with running water, are not true fountains; for the water, controlled by a tap, is turned on only when needed, not utilized for continuous display. The lavabo was a lavatory at which the celebrant washed his hands before consecrating the host. Consequently the basin was placed much higher than in the true wall fountain. The lavabo had its secular counterpart in the acquaio or...
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