Robba Fountain

A Baroque flourish in the old town, the Robba Fountain stands in Town Square in front of Ljubljana's town hall, a tapering marble obelisk rising from a basin ringed by three reclining figures. It is the most celebrated piece of Baroque sculpture in the Slovenian capital and a fixed reference point in the medieval core beneath the castle hill.

The fountain was carved by Francesco Robba, a Venetian-trained sculptor who spent much of his career in Ljubljana, and completed around 1751. Its three river gods pouring water from urns represent the Carniolan rivers Sava, Krka and Ljubljanica, a conceit modelled on the great fountains of Rome. Robba worked the white marble with a lightness that makes the muscular figures seem almost weightless, and the piece is often called the finest Baroque monument in the country.

What stands on the square today is a faithful copy. To protect the weathered original from pollution and frost, it was moved indoors to the National Gallery, and a precise marble replica was installed on the site in 2006 so the square would keep its historic focal point. The substitution is seamless, and most visitors are unaware they are looking at a modern replacement.

For visitors the fountain anchors a compact walking area. It sits directly outside the town hall, a few steps from the cathedral, the central market and the Triple Bridge, so it is impossible to miss on any tour of the old town. There is nothing to pay and it can be seen at any hour, though the square is liveliest during the daytime market and on summer evenings. Those wanting to study Robba's original craftsmanship can see the true fountain inside the National Gallery nearby.