The Fountain of Books is located in via degli Staderari, a name recalling the ancient manufacturers of stadia and scales, once existing in this area. It should be pointed out that this street was formerly called "via dell’Università", in reference to the nearby Sapienza University, while the ancient "via degli Staderari" was parallel to this one and was suppressed when Palazzo Madama was enlarged. The fountain is located inside a niche crowned by a round arch, and features a deer head (the local symbol of St.Eustace) between four ancient books, two on each side, and placed on two side shelves, of course in honour of the Sapienza University. The water flows from two spouts in the shape of bookmarks placed on the upper tomes and from two others, placed laterally on the lower tomes, and collects in the semicircular basin below. This composition, in travertine, was made in 1927 on a project by the architect Pietro Lombardi and is part of those fountains commissioned by the Municipality of Rome that wanted to restore in various points of the city some symbols of ancient districts or trades that had disappeared.
