Baretti: A dictionary of the English and Italian languages
Fondá-re, v. a.
1. to found, lay the foundations of a building; 2. to found, institute; 3. to establish, secure, ground, to build hopes upon;4. to sink, founder; v. r. 1. to rely, count upon; 2. to invest capital; s. m. Fondá-tóre, f. Fondá-tríce;adj. Fondá-nte.
Florio: a worlde of wordes, or most copious, dictionarie in Italian and English
fondare: to ground, to settle, to found or lay a foundation.