Fontana delle Tette
Tucked at the end of Vicolo Podestà, through a narrow passage off Calmaggiore called the Galleria della Strada Romana, a stone woman presses her own breasts and water falls from the nipples into a shell-shaped basin below. The plaque on the wall explains the rest.
This is the Fontana delle Tette — the Fountain of Breasts — and it is exactly what it sounds like, carved in Istrian stone and placed in the courtyard of Palazzo Zignoli. The 1989 replica by Peruvian sculptor Miguel Miranda Quinones stands where an older tradition once ran wine, not water, for three days straight.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who know Treviso well tend to visit both versions: the 1989 replica here in the courtyard, and then the battered original — mutilated by Napoleonic soldiers, lost for a century, recovered — now displayed under the loggia of Palazzo dei Trecento in Piazza dei Signori, dry and behind glass. Seeing both tells the full story.
The story behind Fontana delle Tette
In 1559, following a severe drought, Alvise Da Ponte — the Venetian Republic's podestà in Treviso — commissioned a fountain to bring water from the Cagnan river into the city via a water wheel at Ponte di Pria. The sculptor, documented only as a Venetian craftsman working in 1559–1560, gave the fountain its provocative form: a female bust, water flowing from the breasts.
Each autumn, when a new podestà took office, the fountain was briefly converted: red wine from one breast, white from the other, free to any citizen for three days. The tradition held until 1797, when the Venetian Republic fell. Napoleonic soldiers later shot the original statue — apparently reading it as a symbol of local authority — and it vanished, only resurfacing at the end of the 19th century. The current figure is the 1989 replacement.
Good to know
The courtyard is open at any hour, free of charge. Come through the Galleria della Strada Romana from Calmaggiore — the passage is easy to miss if you are not looking for it. Palazzo dei Trecento, where the damaged original sits, is a short walk away in Piazza dei Signori.
Treviso's centre is pleasant from mid-April through June and again in September, when temperatures sit between roughly 15°C and 25°C. July and August can push well above 30°C in the narrow alleys; January drops to around 3–4°C on average, though the courtyard visit itself takes only a few minutes.
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What travellers say about Fontana delle Tette
The Fontana delle Tette is best known for a quirky old tradition. During autumn festivals, white and red wine flowed from the statue's breasts for three days to celebrate newly elected magistrates. The original restored statue is now kept indoors to protect it, while a replica spraying water is located in the hidden courtyard of Palazzo Zignoli, just off Piazza dei Signori in Treviso.
This sculpture has a great history, but the story is displayed in another part of the city, which is odd. Read the about it before going because it really is interesting.
A unique fountain tucked in a corner away from the hustle and bustle of the square. You are able to sit down and relax with the calming sound of water in the background
A lovely landmark hidden right in the center of the city.
Definitely worth a visit! Truly interesting. If you’re nearby don't miss it!
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