The fountain was built by Giovanni Mazzoleni in the mid-eighteenth century, creator of the fountain of the Four Continents in Piazza Unità d’Italia. The water of the large basin, used by the citizens, came from the San Giovanni aqueduct.In the second half of the eighteenth century, the sculptor Giovanni Carlo Wagner sculpted a statue of a puttino and placed it on top of the fountain.

The street vendors of fruit and vegetables in the market in Piazza Ponterosso confidentially called the puttino Giovanin and on St. John’s day the fountain was decorated with flowers by the flower shops of the market

Before reaching the central basin, the path of the water is articulated through various sculptures. Starting from a shell, the water flows from three large masks and then descends on smaller shells supported by figures of telamons resting on small columns. Coming out of the mouth of the telamons, the water finally arrives in the large basin.

In ancient times the square was a market place and the fountain was decorated by street vendors of flowers on St. John’s day. It is said that the putto was dressed in black cloths when King Umberto was killed.