Fountain of Neptune, Renaissance fountain in Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy
The Fountain of Neptune is a Renaissance work in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, with a central marble figure of the sea god standing on a chariot. Four horses pull the chariot while bronze sculptures of sea deities surround the basin.
Cosimo I de' Medici commissioned the fountain in 1559 to celebrate his gift of clean water to Florence, and it was later tied to the 1565 wedding of his son Francesco and Joanna of Austria. Baccio Bandinelli designed it, but after his death in 1560 Bartolomeo Ammannati took over. A temporary stucco version was ready for the wedding, and the fountain was completed in 1574.
Florentines mocked the statue as "Il Biancone", the big white one, and coined the rhyme "Ammannato, Ammannato, che bel marmo t'hai sprecato". A 1720 plaque by the Otto di Guardia on the wall of Palazzo Vecchio forbids washing inkpots or cloths in the basin and throwing wood or rubbish into it.
The fountain stands in front of Palazzo Vecchio and serves as a meeting point for walking tours through the historic center. The piazza is accessible throughout the day and makes a good reference point for navigating the old town.
In 1580 almost the whole fountain was vandalised, leaving only a few figures untouched. Earlier it served as a washbasin for inkpots and laundry, and in 1592 a railing was added to stop animals from drinking at it. In 2005 a vandal who tried to climb Neptune broke off a hand and the trident.
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