A stately reception ornament, the fountain was built in 1575 during the construction of the city walls (1561-1588), in front of the city gate of the same name.
The materials used for construction were gray sandstone for the structure and marble from nearby Zandobbio quarries for the embellishments.
The names of Francesco Longo and Marc’Antonio Memo, town rectors at the time of the fountain’s construction, are engraved at the top on marble medallions.
The fountain was fed by the Prato Baglioni aqueduct, now dried up, which originated from Colle Aperto, ran along the north side of the hill and ended in Borgo Pignolo.