Constructed by King Alfonso III of Asturias in the 9th century, La Foncalada is a fountain of potable water located outside the city walls of Oviedo, Spain. It is built in Pre-Romanesque style and remains the only surviving civil architectural item for public use from the Early Middle Ages. The fountain's name was given after the Latin inscription 'fontem calatam' written on it, and it is crowned by the Victory Cross, a symbol of Asturias.
Originally placed near an ancient Roman road, the fountain is built over a spring with a source rectangle about 4 metres wide. It has the shape of a vaulted chapel and has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List since 1998 alongside other Pre-Romanesque sites of Asturias.
Two inscriptions remain below the Asturian Cross. The first reads: 'With this sign the pious are protected, With this sign you shall defeat the enemy'. The second inscription translates to: 'Lord, put the sign of the salvation on this fountain to not allow hitting angel to enter'.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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