The Fontana Dell'acqua Paola also known as Il Fontanone ("the big fountain") is located in Rome on the Gianicolo hill near the Church of San Pietro in Montorio. Built in 1610-1612, on the site of the end of the Acqua Paola aqueduct, restored by Pope Paul V and named in honor of him. At that time it was the largest fountain on the left Bank of the Tiber.

On the idea of creating a fountain of Aqua Paola Pope Paul V was inspired by the popularity of the fountain of the Acqua Felice, built in the late 16th century by Pope Sixtus V, Paul V decided to restore the ruined aqueduct, the Aqua Traiana, to provide the citizens of the Gianicolo hill with clean drinking water (before they were forced to take water from polluted Tiber). The funds raised Dad acquired the rights to the source near lake Bracciano, which became the source of water for the aqueduct.

The fountain was designed by Giovanni Fontana, the author of the Acqua Felice, and the Flaminio Ponzio. They took a white marble from the ruins of the Temple of Minerva, and built a massive gate of five arches for the reception of water. At the top of the fountain installed papal tiara and the keys on the coat of arms of the family Borgia (the eagle and the dragon).

Unlike the fountain of the Acqua Felice, which is richly decorated with statues of biblical characters, the Central theme of the Aqua Paola is water. Five powerful jets through the arches fill five marble basins. In 1690 by Carlo Fontana added a semi-circular pool of water that flowed over the edge of the five original. Interestingly, in the fountain loved to swim locals, and in 1707 had to issue a decree forbidding it to do. By the way, the form of the Aqua Paola served as a model for creating the legendary Trevi Fountain.