Prior to the building of the road Luigi De Maio in 1898, Via Sant’Antonino was the main connection between the Basilica and the castle. The road is very narrow and runs along a stretch almost on the eastern boundary of the city walls, leading to Piazza Sant’Antonino where there is a wide area with a marble statue of the Saint in its centre, built in 1866.
The fountain of Sant’Antonino is located here today. In ancient times it was situated in a wide space in front of the castle. It was moved here in 1873 and erected on the edge of the ravine to save and preserve it from the profound transformation that the present centre of Piazza Tasso was undergoing.
However, the present fountain seems quite different from the one appearing in the paintings. In all likelihood, when it was installed, they decided to preserve just some of the marble of the original magnificent version, damaged during its removal from the parapet of the Valley of the Mills.
