The Fountain Bembo dominates what is now Cornarou Square in Herakleion, Crete, next to a Turkish charity fountain of later date.
It was built between 1552 and 1554 by the Capitano Gianmatteo Bembo, the first person
to succeed in conveying spring water to the town via an aqueduct.
The fountain is decorated with renaissance and gothic architectural features and coats of arms, such as that of
Alvise Gritti, Duke of the time, and of his advisors Giovanni Tiepolo, Giorgio Emo and Petro Marino.
The spout bears vegetal decoration in relief and the marble basin where
water collected must initially have been a Roman sarcophagus.
The fountain also had a pediment, though unfortunately this was later removed.
A large headless statue dating from Roman times was brought from Ierapetra to form the centerpiece.
The entire construction was originally immured into a storage cistern,
which was removed in 1938 to make room for the square.
The restoration took place in 2013, funded by the
