Abstract

Fountains were remarkable buildings in ancient cities. First, their functional aspect as water suppliers made them essential to daily life. Then, under the Roman Empire, they gradually acquired a role as ornamentation of the space and as a manifestation of the political discourse that modified their architecture and appearance. Because of these dual characteristics, both functional and decorative, fountains, especially monumental fountains, are very appropriate buildings for conducting an analysis of urban space and its perception. Where were the fountains located in the city? How did they fit into the architectural framework? Who frequented them on a daily basis? How did they evolve over time? This article argues that fountains were buildings in their own right, whose practical and decorative functions must be considered in an equivalent way. Focusing on North Africa provinces, it looks at the perception of fountains in the city, as monumental buildings and constructions decorated with water, which is their raison d’être.