It is one of the most unique places in the historic centre of Modena and its history is just as interesting because it tells us about a city that no longer exists, or rather a city that has changed radically since the time of the origin of this fountain. What is known to the less young as "funtana dll’abès" and in Italian Fontana d’Abisso already has in its name a rather unusual origin for being in Modena, as the Latin word "bessa" means "riverbed or canal". And in fact, even if today in Modena there is neither one nor the other, just over a century ago Modena was quite different and much more similar to Venice.
Where there is now a street, once upon a time there was the Canale d’Abisso which crossed the whole city, entering it from Via Saragozza and flowing into the Canale della Cerca, just below the Palazzo Ducale. The purest and clearest spring water flowed from this fountain, which came from the canal itself. In 1865, however, the fountain was moved to the mouth of Via de’ Lovoleti, following a valuable project by the architect Cesare Costa. The fountain remained like this until 1946, when by then, lacking spring water, it was supplied with water from the municipal aqueduct, and was then covered with the paving of the square, leaving the railing visible and placing a flush cast iron fountain nearby. The memory of the fountain was lost for many years, but it was rediscovered and restored in 2001 when paving works were carried out in Piazza Roma.
