Public fountains have a long history in Italy. They date back to the Roman period when many were built as part of the city infrastructure. The Romans were master architects and engineers, and many of the monumental fountains we see in Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, were built thanks to water transport systems they had created.

However, the true development of public fountains took place during the Renaissance, when there was a great interest in urban architecture and decoration. It was during this period that some of the most famous Italian fountains were built, such as the already-mentioned Trevi Fountain in Rome and the Neptune Fountain in Bologna.