The tradition is that Fontebecci was built using lime from rams (becchi), exchanged with the Florentines made prisoners in the battle of Monteaperti, or perhaps it got it from a family called Becci. But some maintain that the name "Fontebecci" simply indicates "fountain for drinking" (berci). Apart from the legends, the fountain is among the oldest in Siena, perhaps even of Roman origin. The first record of it is in an act of donation dating from the year 1110. Being far from the city, at a crossroads of the routes between Rome and Florence, Voltera, and Siena, it was often exposed to attacks from mercenary armies. Also, its bottino frequently fell into a state of complete disrepair. It was refaced in brick perhaps in 1309 but remains without much water today because its supply has been diverted into the nearby main aqueducts of Fonte Gaia and Fontebranda.