Commissioned by Pope Sixtus V in 1589, the fountain was designed by Giacomo della Porta and constructed by Andrea Brasca, Pietro Gucci and Pace Naldini.

In front of the fountain, once stood the facade of Santi Venanzio e Ansovino, razed and now replaced with by the roads and park-space near the Altare della Patria.

As previously done for the Aqua Virgo, works were started to create a secondary subterranean branch of the channel, in order to assure water provision in the areas of Viminal Hill and Quirinal Hill, then scarcely served, and in the area of the Tiber Island; consequently, the building of a certain number of fountains was also planned.

Pope Sixtus V commissioned the fountain to Giacomo Della Porta, who designed it in 1589, while the construction was carried out by Andrea Brasca, Pietro Gucci and Pace Naldini: it was a circular basin with two opposed bulges, giving it a vague oval shape, decorated with mascarons and lying on three steps with the same shape (the inner of which is smaller than the basin), surrounded by a narrow pool for the collection of water.

At the beginning of the 18th century, under the papacy of Clement XI, the two lower steps were removed and replaced by a big pool for the collection of the water, surrounded by a series of small stone columns linked by iron bars, probably under a design of Giambattista Contini.