In 1842, in recognition of the 1800th anniversary of the Virgin Mary sending a letter to Messina, the Senate commissioned Carlo Falconieri to create this fountain that bears his name. After surviving the 1908 earthquake, Fontana Falconieri was stored until 1957 and now sits in Basildon square. This cast iron raptor is one of several figures of animals, dolphins and marine monsters surrounding the octagon-shaped pool.
