The All Wars’ Fallen Monumental Fountain of Copparo (FE) is a significant tribute to the historical memory of the Emilian city, an expression of a refined encounter between art and architecture. The history of this monument dates back to 1933 when, on the occasion of the creation of the Intermunicipal Consortium of Aqueducts between Copparo, Formignana, Migliarino and Ostellato, it was decided to erect a monumental fountain to celebrate the arrival of drinking water in the city.
The protagonists, or rather, the key figures behind the creation of the monument fountain, are the architect Piero Toschi from Forlì (1897-1959) and the sculptor Enzo Nenci from Ferrara (1903-1972). Toschi, who worked between Bologna, Forlì and Ravenna, is known for his ability to combine modernity and classicism in his works. Nenci, son of the music teacher and composer Giuseppe Nenci and the countess Giacomina Giulietti Dei was an exponent of the twentieth-century movement, whose artistic production ranged from drawing to sculpture, with works made of terracotta, plaster, bronze, marble, and cement.
The fountain was inaugurated on November 4th 1935 with a year’s delay, due to the breakage of the original crystal monolith, which was replaced with the one in white Carrara marble that we can still admire today.
The fountain is located in the centre of Piazza della Libertà, in front of the Palazzo Municipale di Copparo, also known as “La Delizia di Copparo”, as it was one of the 19 prestigious residences (called “Delizie”) of the Este family. Commissioned by Ercole II d’Este to spend periods of rest and leisure, it was built between 1540 and 1547 on the pre-existing remains of an ancient hunting lodge. In 1808 the palace was seriously damaged by a fire and partially demolished, but in 1872 the remains were incorporated into the new Town Hall building that is still there.
During the Second World War, one of the most direct and tangible consequences of the conflict was the food crisis, due to the difficulty in supplying food and the government-imposed blockade of imports. To address the problem of hunger, the state imposed the “sacrifice” of gardens and urban greenery by converting them into vegetable gardens, which were cultivated as much as possible and in the most rational way possible by the population. This fate also befell the garden surrounding the monumental fountain of Copparo, which was transformed into a “war vegetable garden” and served to produce food for the citizens.
When the Second World War drew to a close, an overwhelming collective fervour developed in Copparo to worthily honour the fallen heroes. Thus, a marble band with the names of the fallen in the Second World War and the wars of the Risorgimento, Africa and Spain was added to the monumental fountain, while the fallen of the First World War are remembered by two plaques affixed to the facade of the Town Hall since 1923.
Since then, the fountain has accompanied the lives of the people of Copparo, from generation to generation, until 1990 when, due to the deterioration of the monument, the General Committee “Pro Fontana Caduti” was formed, made up of the municipal administration, the veterans and weapons associations, the parish and citizens sensitive to the public good, who committed to restoring the work. The restoration culminated with the inauguration on April 25, 1992, during which the names of the still missing fallen were inserted and a time capsule was buried.
The life of the restored fountain lasted about 30 years, until 2023, when it was decided to intervene with a complete architectural restoration of the fountain, which, although functional, had been inactive for some years, due to a leak involving the underground storage tank in the square. During this last restoration, on 9 November 2023, the 1992 time capsule was found near the fountain, which consisted of a plastic cylinder containing a poster, a register and some lire, which were intended to testify to the community’s commitment to activating the restoration. Following the opening of the time capsule, the architect Mauro Crepaldi, head of the design office of Patrimonio Copparo S.r.L., met the fourth and fifth classes of the “O. Marchesi” primary school to explain to them what was being done in the gardens facing the school and to tell the fascinating story of the discovery. Thanks to this meeting, the kids and the institutions got to work to create a time capsule for themselves, creating a symbolic passing of the baton, to document and pass on not only the current restoration of the fountain but also curiosities, events and traditions of Copparo 2024. On May 21, 2024, the fourth and fifth-grade classes brought their works to the square to give shape to the new time capsule, which was placed at the foot of the fountain to serve future generations.
The All Wars’ Fallen Monumental Fountain of Copparo, in addition to being an important commemorative work, is a significant example of the sculptural art of the twenty-year Fascist period (1922-1943). During this historical period, art was used as a propaganda tool to consolidate the regime’s ideology and to exalt values such as strength, courage and patriotism. Among the various rules imposed, the most important was the reference to “Romanness”, which served to legitimize fascism as the heir to the greatness of the Roman Empire. The sculptures of this period were often monumental, inspired by Roman and Renaissance classicism. According to fascism, sculpture was the favourite art, second only to architecture, due to its immediately visible and monumental character, for being an excellent media channel, where heroic subjects, soldiers and workers were depicted, exalting the values of work, discipline, and sacrifice for the homeland.
In conclusion, the All Wars’ Fallen Monumental Fountain of Copparo is not only a work of art and architecture, but also a place of collective memory, because it represents the deep bond between the community and its history, honouring those who sacrificed their lives for their country. Every restoration and every gesture of care are signs of the respect and affection that the people of Copparo have for their cultural heritage and future generations. The Fountain, with its grandeur and its meaning, therefore remains a living symbol of the resilience and hope of Copparo, reminding everyone of the importance of preserving and enhancing the testimonies of the past to build a more aware and united future.
