This fountain rises in front of Villa Medici and was commissioned around 1589 to Annibale Lippi by cardinal Ferdinando de’Medici. It consists of a large octagonal pond at the ground level, from the centre of which rises a pillar that supports a dull grey granite circular cupin the shape of a bowl with a marble sphere that pours water. 

By tradition the sphere is a cannon ball that replaced a Medicean fleur-de-lis. In fact according to the story queen Christine of Sweden ordered to shoot a gun against the main gate of Villa Medici during a visit to Castel Sant’Angelo. The cannon ball was picked up and inserted at the top of the fountain to remember the event.