Fontana Luminosa fountain by Nicola D’Antino, Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini, L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy
Fontana Luminosa
Nicola D’Antino · “Fontana Luminosa”, bronze group on a stone fountain, 1930s · Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini, L’Aquila, Abruzzo
Photo as published on Street Art Utopia, where no photographer is named. It is a crop of a photo posted on Reddit by the user daenel on 4 August 2022, as My Modern Met reported. The colours come from the low sun, not from the fountain’s lights
The Fontana Luminosa stands at the entrance to the old centre of L’Aquila: two bronze women by the sculptor Nicola D’Antino hold up a conca, the traditional Abruzzo water jar, in Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini. It was built in the 1930s and is named after the coloured lights that play on the water at night. The “lava” in this photo is sunlight: a resident caught it on camera in 2022 when his daughter pointed and shouted “fire”.
4 things to know
- Lava made of sunlightThe photo was posted on Reddit on 4 August 2022 by the user daenel, who lives in L’Aquila. He wrote that “my little daughter pointed at it and yell: watch the fire!” My Modern Met, which identified the fountain, explains that the sun has to be in just the right place and the sky “completely clear” for the effect. Reddit · My Modern Met
- A gateway for the “Grande Aquila”The Ministry of Culture says the fountain was built under the urban plan for the “Grande Aquila”, designed by the engineer Bernardino Valentini with Nicola D’Antino, who made the bronze group. It stands where Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the main street of the old centre, begins. Ministry of Culture · Artribune · Wikipedia (it)
- Lights at night, ice in winterThe city’s tourist portal says the name comes from the play of lights and colours at night, and that the lights are changed for national holidays, sports events such as the Giro d’Italia and awareness campaigns. In winter, it says, the water poured from the jar can freeze into a glittering sculpture. City of L’Aquila
- Restored after the 2009 earthquakeRestoration began in June 2013, paid for by €94,000 from the Associazione Nazionale Alpini, €34,000 from the city district and a second phase of €100,000 from the Ministry. The bronze and stone were cleaned and repaired and new lights can now colour the water. The fountain was handed back to the city in December 2016. Ministry of Culture · Wikipedia (it)
Check-in guide
- 📍
- In the middle of Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini, at the start of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and next to the Forte Spagnolo (the castle) and its park (Ministry of Culture, Wikipedia (it)). The fountain sits on a round basin raised on white steps, with large stone balls on two sides (City of L’Aquila).
- 🧭
- The Maps button opens the OpenStreetMap point for the fountain (42.3538544, 13.4013324) (OpenStreetMap). The Wikidata point is within a few metres of it (Wikidata).
- 🌅
- The “lava” needs low sun and a clear sky, and it lasts only a short time (My Modern Met). The photo was posted in early August; the photographer did not say what time it was taken.
- 💡
- Come after dark for the coloured lights that give the fountain its name (City of L’Aquila).
Sightings
- 201623 Dec
Ministry: back in use
- 20224 Aug
Reddit photo posted
- 202313 Apr
Artribune guide
- 202426 Dec
In SAU “Molten Magic”
- 202522 Apr
Commons photo, camera date
- 202617 Jan
QN: drone show at the fountain
- 20267 Oct
In SAU “40 of the Most Loved Photos”
Every stamp links to the dated source. Green stamps are photos taken at the fountain: the 2022 stamp is the day the photo was posted on Reddit, not a camera date; the 2025 stamp is the camera date of a photo on Wikimedia Commons by Raboe001 that shows the water running. Amber stamps are reports and reposts. The newest dated mention is the drone show “Sotto un unico cielo” held at the fountain on 17 January 2026, the opening day of L’Aquila’s year as Italian Capital of Culture, reported by QN on 24 January 2026.
On the record
L’Aquila, la Fontana Luminosa. Luci accese e acqua sgorgante dopo i lavori
“torna alla sua piena funzionalità la FONTANA LUMINOSA, il “biglietto d’ingresso” più conosciuto al centro storico dell’Aquila”
“The Fontana Luminosa, the best-known ‘entrance ticket’ to the historic centre of L’Aquila, is fully working again.” Release from the Ministry’s regional secretariat for Abruzzo, which also says the fountain was “Realizzata nel 1933” (“built in 1933”).
Fontana Luminosa
“In inverno acquista il massimo fascino quando l’acqua versata dalla conca si gela, formando una scultura cangiante.”
“In winter it is at its most enchanting, when the water poured from the jar freezes, forming a shimmering sculpture.” From the city’s tourist portal, run by its tourism department.
Weekend a L’Aquila. Cosa fare e vedere in città e dintorni
“realizzata nel 1934 su progetto di Berardino Valentini, è sormontata dai nudi femminili dello scultore Nicola d’Antino che svettano al centro di piazza Battaglione degli Alpini”
“Built in 1934 to a design by Berardino Valentini, it is topped by the female nudes of the sculptor Nicola d’Antino, which rise in the centre of Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini.” City guide by Livia Montagnoli. Note the year and the spelling of the engineer’s first name, which differ from the Ministry’s release.
L’Aquila è Capitale italiana della Cultura 2026: guida a un territorio che risorge
“Alla Fontana Luminosa, lo spettacolo aereo di droni Sotto un unico cielo ha incantato il pubblico”
“At the Fontana Luminosa, the aerial drone show ‘Sotto un unico cielo’ (Under one sky) enchanted the audience.” By Chiara Giacobelli, about the opening day on 17 January 2026.
The facts
- Artist
- Nicola D’Antino, sculptor of the bronze group (Ministry of Culture, City of L’Aquila, Artribune, Wikipedia (it), My Modern Met) Checked
- Life dates
- Born in Caramanico Terme in 1880, died in Rome in 1966, according to the city’s tourist portal (City of L’Aquila) Reported
- Design
- Designed with an engineer named Valentini: “Bernardino Valentini” in the Ministry’s release, “Berardino Valentini” in Artribune. We use the Ministry’s spelling, since it is the official record (Ministry of Culture, Artribune) Conflicting
- Made
- In the 1930s, per all sources (City of L’Aquila). The year differs: 1933 in the Ministry’s release and the Wikipedia text; 1934 in Artribune, My Modern Met, Wikidata and the Wikipedia infobox. We lean towards 1933 because the Ministry is the official record, but we found no document that settles it (Ministry of Culture, Wikipedia (it), Artribune, My Modern Met, Wikidata) Conflicting
- Subject
- Two bronze female nudes holding up a conca abruzzese, the traditional Abruzzo water jar, from which the water pours (City of L’Aquila, Wikipedia (it), Artribune) Checked
- Materials
- Bronze figures on a stone fountain (Ministry of Culture); Wikipedia gives travertine and marble (Wikipedia (it)) Reported
- Place
- Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini, at the start of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, L’Aquila (Ministry of Culture, City of L’Aquila, Artribune, Wikipedia (it), OpenStreetMap) Checked
- Name
- From the lights that play on the water at night (City of L’Aquila, Wikipedia (it)) Checked
- Winter ice
- The water can freeze into an ice sculpture in winter, according to the city’s tourist portal; we found no dated photo of it (City of L’Aquila) Reported
- Restoration
- Work began in June 2013 after the 2009 earthquake; the fountain was back in use in December 2016 (Ministry of Culture, Wikipedia (it), My Modern Met) Checked
- This photo
- Posted on Reddit by the user daenel on 4 August 2022 as one of three photos; the photo on Street Art Utopia is a crop of the first. Street Art Utopia does not name the photographer (Reddit, My Modern Met) Checked
- Status
- Seen January 2026: QN reports a drone show held at the fountain on 17 January 2026. The newest dated photo we found has the camera date 22 April 2025 and shows the water running (QN Itinerari, Wikimedia Commons) Reported
Related
- On Street Art Utopia: 40 of the Most Loved Photos on Street Art Utopia Right Now (7 October 2026), where the photo above appeared as work no. 17, and the earlier Molten Magic: Italian Fountain Glows Like Flowing Lava (26 December 2024), with a wider view of the square.
- The original Reddit post with all three photos, including a wide shot of the square at sunset. reddit.com
- The city’s own page on the fountain, with the lights and the winter ice. quilaquila.it
All sources (10)
This work
- Ministero della Cultura: “L’Aquila, la Fontana Luminosa. Luci accese e acqua sgorgante dopo i lavori”, 23 December 2016, from the Segretariato Regionale MiBACT per l’Abruzzo. Built 1933 in the “Grande Aquila” plan; engineer Bernardino Valentini and Nicola D’Antino (bronze group); Piazza Battaglione Alpini; restoration from June 2013, funding, new lights.
- Comune dell’Aquila, Quilaquila: “Fontana Luminosa”, the city’s tourist portal, undated. Two bronze women holding the conca abruzzese; D’Antino, 1880–1966; 1930s; name from the night lights; ice in winter.
- Artribune: “Weekend a L’Aquila. Cosa fare e vedere in città e dintorni”, 13 April 2023, by Livia Montagnoli. Built 1934, design by Berardino Valentini, female nudes by Nicola d’Antino, Piazza Battaglione degli Alpini, entrance to Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
- Wikipedia (it): “Fontana luminosa (L’Aquila)”, encyclopedia article. 1933 in the text, 1934 in the infobox; two bronze female nudes holding the conca abruzzese; back in use December 2016; travertine and marble.
- Wikidata: Q3747448, data record. Inception 1934; coordinates 42.353833, 13.401333.
- OpenStreetMap: way 349526452, “Fontana Luminosa”, map record. Point 42.3538544, 13.4013324 (used for the Maps button).
The photo
- Reddit, r/interestingasfuck: “Sunlight through this fountain looks like it is pouring lava – L’Aquila, Italy”, posted 4 August 2022 by daenel, three photos; and his comment about his daughter shouting “watch the fire!”.
- My Modern Met: “When the Sun Hits Just Right, This Fountain in Italy Looks Like It’s Spewing Lava”, 15 August 2022, by Jessica Stewart. Names the fountain and D’Antino, 1934, credits the Reddit user daenel, explains the light.
Dated sightings
- Wikimedia Commons: “L’Aquila 2025 – Fontana Luminosa – by-RaBoe 006”, photo by Raboe001, camera date 22 April 2025, CC BY-SA 3.0. Water running.
- QN Itinerari: “L’Aquila è Capitale italiana della Cultura 2026: guida a un territorio che risorge”, 24 January 2026, by Chiara Giacobelli. Drone show at the Fontana Luminosa on 17 January 2026.
Artwork File · Last checked 8 October 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files