# General view [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [ARCHITECT, Italian]() - Date: 1201-1250 - Technique: Photo ## Commentary In Siena, due to the fact that the city was constructed on hills, water has always been a prime concern and even today, the city continues to thrive without a natural source of water \(for example, a river, as is common in many other cities\). That is why the people of Siena have always worked hard to find ways to bring water to the city centre. Underneath the streets of this medieval city lies many kilometres of tunnels, called "bottini." These underground tunnels were built centuries ago and have brought water from the surrounding countryside to the city since the 12th century. Many fountains have monumental architectural structures to underline the importance of the place where they were built. Solid brick construction, and the willingness to use the pointed arch which is a constant feature of non-military construction, are characteristic of the long line of the city fountains. These were all built in the form of vaulted chambers with arched openings. The dark and massive Fontebranda, its simple pointed openings set within relieving arches, leads the way. First mentioned in 1081, it was enlarged in 1198 and rebuilt in 1246. The classic fountains of the 13th and 14th centuries, like Fontebranda, contains three basins located at different heights to serve various purposes. The fresh water that flows into the first \(or highest\) basin was used for drinking, the second basin contained drinking water for animals and the third one provided water for washing clothes. ## Related artworks - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Apse of a basilica]() - [Arsenale Gateway]() - [Arsenale Gateway]() - [Basilica di Sant'Antonio: Chiostro del Noviziato]() - [Basilica Santi Nereo e Achilleo]() - [Ca' Foscari: Façade]() - [Chamber of the millers]() - [Chiesa dell'Incoronata: Interior of the dome]() - [Cloister gallery]() - [Detail of the façade]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()