Restoration of the Scalpellini Fountain
Pove del Grappa, Vicenza

The area surrounding ​​Pove del Grappa (VI), as well as for the cultivation of olive trees, is also famous for the tradition of marble processing which has been extracted from the mountains since ancient times. The stonecutter of Pove is a typical figure; even the famous architect Vincenzo Scamozzi talks about him in his treatises, recognizing his great importance. The Fontana degli Scalpellini (Stonecutter's Fountain) is dedicated to this tradition, built in 1985 on a project by the architect Bortolo Volpe, placed in the namesake town square, subject of restoration by Forme d’Acqua. The municipal administration, after last year’s positive experience with the construction of a dancing fountain in front of the town hall, decided to contact again Forme d'Acqua’s team and to entrust them with the restoration of the historic monument, inactive for some years. An Istrain stone fountain of about 5 meters by 5 meters, formed by 4 tanks, fed by a central waterfall about 2 and a half meters high. Forme d’Acqua's intervention was focused on cleaning the structure and replacing the old lighting system with a new set of Oase Profilux White 350/01 IP68 LED spotlights For what concerns the hydraulic part, Forme d’Acqua has replaced the old, now obsolete, nozzles, with 4 new Oase Fan Jet 10 - 6  nozzles, to create a new water feature. In the upper part of the fountain, to protect it and to facilitate the water overflow, a 5 mm thick AISI 316 stainless steel panel was made as a cover, with 20 cm high feet. To keep the water clean, the creation of a filtration system with the application of a panel and an automatic sulfuric acid and chlorine injection unit was essential. The correct balancing of the two products will allow the fountain to avoid the accumulation of limestone, which could obstruct the pipes and therefore block the fountain and prevent the formation of algae and impurities. An intervention that allowed to bring to a new life a fountain loved by the citizens with a conservative restoration that has maintained its aesthetic aspect and functionality.