Onofrio’s Large Fountain is a 15th-century domed stone fountain just inside Pile Gate, at the western end of Dubrovnik’s Stradun. Neapolitan builder Onofrio della Cava completed it in 1438 as the endpoint of an aqueduct carrying spring water roughly 12 kilometres from Šumet, and it still pours clean, drinkable water today (source: History Hit).
The sixteen-sided structure rises from a stepped base under a low dome. Sixteen carved stone masks, called maskerons, ring its walls, and water flows from each mouth into a basin below (source: Absolute Croatia). The 1667 earthquake destroyed much of its original sculptural decoration, so the weathered faces you see today carry visible scars of the city’s history. Locals relied on Onofrio’s fountains as a main water source until a modern supply reached homes in the late 19th century.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Access is free and open around the clock. Bring a refillable bottle, because the water is safe to drink. Cruise-ship crowds peak between roughly 10am and 4pm from May through September, so come early morning or after sunset for clean photos of the masks. Next door, visit the Church of St. Saviour and the Franciscan Monastery with its historic pharmacy. Then walk the length of Stradun to find the Small Onofrio’s Fountain near Luža Square (source: Dubrovnik Travel). City buses stop right outside Pile Gate.
