Fontana del Tritone

The fountain stands at the centre of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, one of Trapani's principal public spaces. Its large octagonal stone basin was constructed in 1890 to mark the inauguration of the Dammusi aqueduct, a major public works project that brought fresh water to the expanding city. Promoted by the politician Nunzio Nasi, the basin originally stood without a central sculpture. Between 1951 and 1953, the municipality commissioned the Trapanese sculptor Domenico Li Muli to create the monumental sculptural group that defines the fountain today.

The fountain consists of an octagonal basin edged with marble and surrounded by stone benches. At its centre, Li Muli's sculptural ensemble depicts Triton standing on a shell-shaped chariot drawn by two hippocamps, accompanied by sea nymphs and other marine creatures. Originally intended to be cast in bronze, the sculpture was instead executed in reinforced concrete. It is regarded as one of Li Muli's best-known works and has become one of the symbolic monuments of modern Trapani.

The fountain has undergone several conservation projects, including a major restoration in 2013 that repaired the sculpture and renewed the lighting and water systems, followed by further maintenance in 2018. After suffering damage in 2025, the monument was repaired later that year in consultation with the regional heritage authority, ensuring the continued preservation of one of Trapani's best-known public landmarks.