Limestone Garden Wellheads

Every person who has visited Venice must have taken note of the stunning ornamental wellheads. The famous bronze wells in the court yard of the Ducal Palace will, of course, be in everyone’s recollection. Almost every important manor house or square in Venice has its “vera da pozzo” of carved Istrian stone, limestone or marble. Since the Middle Ages, citizens began to build underground cisterns, while the government encouraged the water systems. Only Venice used layers of sand to filter and make rainwater drinkable. The ever-growing population needed water, and the solution was finally found thanks to the realization of the “Venetian wellheads“. The richest families were encouraged by the Republic of Venice to donate a stone well to their city, and therefore the wellheads were additionally decorated with aristocratic carved coat-of-arms, inscriptions, bas-reliefs and hand forged metal overthrows. These structures served as a freshwater cistern, and for the purification of rainwater, while the rivers Brenta and Sile supplied the water to the lagoon. If used as a focal point in your garden, the Italian wellhead might be a very charming solution, and we invite you to view our large inventory in Palm Beach or online. These wellheads have been carved by hand in limestone and are raised on a platform. Each wellhead is accessorized by a hand forged wrought iron overthrow, which makes it so distinct. We can also customize the perfect piece well to your specifications, if the antique wellhead does not suit your needs.