The Rocca and the water

Fontanellato is born and develops thanks to water

Fontanellato derives its name from “Fontana Lata” for the great quantity of springs that are present on the area

The Rocca was for years defended by a moat, that is still full of water

The moat, repeatedly emptied and cleaned, contributes to the stability of the castle

A lot of species of edible fishes lived in the water of the moat; the family Sanvitale was greedy for them.

Nowadays unedible carps swim in the water. They were "suitable" to animate the fishing competitions that were held along the perimeter of the fortress

The moat is now supplied by the source called “Serena”, that crosses the historical center

The water was organized in a dense net of communication and trade channels

and for civil use or as an animal drinking through inside the village, too..

… to wash clothes…

… to quench one’s thirst even today…

For this reason a lot of importance has always had the water protection

Passage of an act in 1605, laid down by the Count Alfonso Sanvitale

The water gushes in the hanging garden of the Rocca, too

And the goddess Diana, too, came and bathed in a… “fontanellatese” fountain