The Fountain Funeral

This project takes form as a performance, staging the burial of water, a vital resource on the verge of extinction.

In front of the fountain, a commemoration will take place, called “The Fountain Funeral”.

Aiming to recreate a fake funeral involving actors and a participants that will pay tribute to the disappearence

of the water in front of the Lazzaroni fountain.

The park, spanning approximately 50,000 square meters, was originally created by the Lazzaroni family.

Over time, various events have altered the villa’s appearance and proportions, and even today, it continues to evolve, making it a dynamic space for artistic and social expression. It is one of the few well-equipped green areas in Municipio Roma IX and is regularly visited by the elderly, groups of young people, and, most notably, a remarkable number of parents with small children.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the condition of the park (once a private villa) has significantly worsened. Neglect, poor maintenance, and lack of care have turned this historic villa into a poorly monitored environment. Four tuff rock fountains, placed at key points along the pathways, are still recognizable. All four fountains were turned off after one of the landslides that affected the villa, as inspections needed to be carried out.

Until 2018, a redevelopment project was planned, which had been supported by €250,000 in funding that had already been budgeted; however, the following year, the funds were withdrawn.

On Earth and in the atmosphere, both an element and a resource,water constitutes us and overflows the world. Rain, seas, pearls, dew, streams, clouds, fog, and tears, it is the essential source

of all life.

Today, exploited and polluted, water has become a vital issue in the current ecological crisis. At Villa Lazzaroni, the fountain is extinguished and arid, the water no longer flows.

“The Fountain Funeral”, with its ironic tone, seeks to show the problem regarding the consumption of wate through a metaphorical death, commemorated at the Fountain of Villa Lazzaroni.