The fountain in Piazza dei Missionari

Piazza dei Missionari, where the fountain is located, was so called because in 1720 the Missionary Fathers of St Vincent, who had been desired by the Community at the end of the previous century, built their convent in the village of Pian di Nave, precisely in Piazza Bresca.

The fountain was built by municipal resolution on 18 August 1834 on the site where it still stands, in order to meet the increasingly pressing water needs of the densely populated Marina district.

The name was changed to Piazza Bresca on 28th November 1870 by a resolution of the City Council, taking its name from the famous captain who in 1586 allowed the erection of the famous obelisk in St Peter's Square in Rome.
So much so that, recalling his feat, an obelisk was erected in the centre of the fountain itself to a design by engineer Giordano of the Civil Engineers.

Consisting of a stone pyramid-shaped staircase on which an obelisk with four small fountains at its base rises, it still gives a monumental touch to the simple square bordered by sober buildings.

Today, thanks to the fountain and the square, which have recently been restored, together with the houses around it, and the numerous restaurants that remind us that this was once the fish market, it is an attraction for the local and foreign population.

As part of the development of this important public work, a small wall in the shape of a seat was also built in the adjacent Piazza Sardi to allow the public to watch the "ball game", traditionally played by the people of Sanremo in that square.