The 2015-17 restoration of the Corte del Milion wellhead was funded by the Boston Chapter of Save Venice Inc., and that of the Corte Perini wellhead was funded by the MKM Foundation.

Before modern plumbing existed in Venice, the main source of fresh water came from cisterns that collected rain water, often in the center of the many public squares of Venice. The cisterns were topped with stone wellheads that were often decorated with floral motifs, religious symbols, and even family crests or emblems of the Venetian scuole, the powerful lay confraternities of the city. Wellheads were not only functional and useful, but also complimented the architecture and enhanced the aesthetic appeal of many of the campi of the city. They were also an artistic medium through which the government, the scuole, and members of the patriciate expressed their identity.

The Corte del Milion wellhead, located in the sestiere of Cannaregio, dates to circa 1350 and is situated in a courtyard adjacent to the site where the explorer Marco Polo (1254–1324) lived with his family after returning from his travels in the Far East. The fifteenth-century Corte Perini wellhead, near San Lio in the sestiere of Castello, is decorated with carved amphoras and the coat of arms of the Grazia family.

The wellheads were restored by conservators from the Lares restoration firm, with the guidance of the Superintendency of Monuments of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Unidentified sculptor
Corte del Milion Wellhead
c. 1350, Istrian stone and marble

Unidentified sculptor
Corte Perini Wellhead
Fifteenth century, Istrian stone and marble

Save Venice Board Member Prof. Patricia Fortini Brown’s talk, “The Aesthetics of Water,” at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, in collaboration with Save Venice Inc.