Pomona Court

Once the site of a Standard Oil filling station, Pomona Court was established on the Plaza in 1969. As filling stations became less necessary for the Plazas business, they transitioned into courtyards and public spaces. The architects of this fenced, brick courtyard won an award for its design. It’s showpiece is the large fountain that features a life-size bronze statue of Pomona, the Roman Goddess of orchards and vineyards. A one of a kind imported from Italy, Pomona was sculpted by Donatello Gabbrielli and cast by Marinelli Studios. She is centered on an elevated basin of polished marble, as water cascades into a large trefoil-shaped pool accompanied by a spray ring.

The location of Pomona Court was originally the site of a Standard Oil filling station before the courtyard and fountain were installed in 1969. Plaza developer J.C. Nichols created the autocentric shopping district with several filling stations, but as the needs of patrons changed, so did the Plaza. By the 1960’s, the filling stations began transitioning into small courtyards, inviting and allowing patrons to stop and take a moment to admire their surroundings. McArthur-Jarchow Architects received an award for the design of this public courtyard. 

The centerpiece of the large fountain is a life-sized bronze sculpture of the Roman Goddess Pomona, imported directly from Italy. Using the ancient lost-wax technique, Pomona was sculpted by Donatello Gabbrielli (1884-1955) and cast by the Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli studio out of Florence. Pomona is derived from the Latin word “pomum” meaning fruit. She is the Roman Goddess of vineyards and orchards and is said to be a wood nymph. In this sculpture, she is depicted holding bunches of grapes as she catches the draped cloth falling from her nude body. The bronze is positioned in the center of a polished marble basin and pedestal in which water cascades into a large trefoil shaped pool. The pool also contains a ring-shaped water feature that sprays water from the outer edge towards the center. A bronze plaque accompanies the fountain and reads: 

“This noted Italian sculptor intended the statue to represent the sustenance and richness that comes from the Earth. From his original model, only two figures have ever been made. This bronze casting and a marble carving that stands in the King’s Palace, Bangkok, Thailand.” 

Artist Donatello Gabbrielli was born in 1884 in Scandicci, Florence, Italy. At an early age his parents recognized his skill in drawing but due to family trouble he was not able to attend the Academy. Instead, he began an apprenticeship at Professor Cesare Fantacchiotti’s Studio, a technically difficult school. Gabbrielli was first limited to rough-hewing marble figures, one of the steps in removing imperfections in the stone, but as he acquired better skill, he went on to create his own models winning exhibitions in Leghorn (1909) and Montenegro (1910). In 1922, Gabbrielli inherited Fantacchiotti’s studio and tools upon his passing. He was appointed the Professor of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence in 1954 and died the following year.

Country Club Plaza Walking Guide, Historic Kansas City. Accessed January 19th 2022. https://www.historickansascity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/98973-Historic-KC-LR_nocrops.pdf.

Pomona Fountain, City of Fountains. Accessed January 19th 2022. https://cityoffountains.org/pomona-fountain/.

Pomona Court on the Country Club Plaza, Missouri Valley Special Collections . Accessed January 19th 2022. https://kchistory.org/image/pomona-court-country-club-plaza?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=e8fc4083a0680d3c0586&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=3.

Donatello Gabbrielli, Galleria Bazzanti. Accessed January 19th 2022. https://www.galleriabazzanti.it/en/autori/donatello-gabbrielli/.

Pomona, Galleria Bazzanti. Accessed January 19th 2022. https://www.galleriabazzanti.it/en/prodotto/pomona/.