Description of the attraction
In the heart of the old town of Rethymno, on Platano Square, there is the famous Rimondi Fountain, which for four centuries has been offering a drink of fresh water to weary passers-by.
The Rimondi fountain was built in 1626 by the Venetian governor of the city A. Rimondi to provide residents with drinking water. Presumably, an older fountain built in 1588 was located on this site, and the governor began its reconstruction. During the Venetian period, there was an acute shortage of water in many cities of Crete. For most practical needs, residents used rainwater collected in special containers and built wells. Thus, the water from the city fountains provided the needs of the population for drinking water. In Rethymno, there are seven more fountains in different parts of the city, four of which were built by the Turks.
The facade of the fountain is an architrave with four corrugated columns of the Corinthian order, standing on a small elevation above three basins, where water flows. The pools were used as a drinking cup for the animals. The holes that drain the water are shaped like lion heads embedded in a marble wall. Architrave is decorated with two-word Latin inscription "Liberalitatis" and "Fontes". The graceful coat of arms of the Rimondi clan is carved in marble between the middle columns. After the capture of the city by the Turks in 1646, the fountain was surrounded by a wall and the dome was completed. However, these innovations have not survived. Perhaps they collapsed themselves, or they were deliberately destroyed by local residents.
According to a wonderful legend, lovers who drank from this fountain together will definitely get married.
