Fountain of Neptune
Public Art: Fountain of Neptune
Nickname: Il Biancone (white giant)
Sculptor: © Bartolomeo Ammannati and Jean de Boulogne
Date: December 10, 1574
Description: The 4.2-metre monument was carved from specially chosen Apuan marble. The fountain features Neptune (Roman god of the sea) standing high on an octagonal fountain. The face of Neptune was carved to resemble Cosimo De’ Medici (1389 – 1464) who had always envisaged a monument to the god of the sea in the centre of the city.
The pedestal is decorated with the mythical chained figures of Scylla and Charybdis. The bronze statues which decorate the fountain are the work of Flemish artist, Jean de Boulogne. The fountain features bronze river gods, smirking satyrs, marble seahorses and a giant seashell.
Location: One of many statues and fountains lined up on the Piazza della Signoria in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
History of the Fountain of Neptune: The Fountain of Neptune has been standing proudly in Piazza della Signoria in Florence since 1574, having taken 10 years to complete. During his reign, Cosimo I de’Medici had great ambitions for making Florence a naval superpower. In 1559, he held a competition for the creation of the city’s first public fountain. The city had just completed a new water system and built a new aqueduct and this would be the perfect monument.
The fountain was originally planned to be unveiled for the wedding of Francesco I de’ Medici and grand duchess Johanna of Austria in 1565. Unfortunately, due to various marble mishaps, construction was delayed. A fake substitute fountain made from painted stucco was erected for the wedding but the water made a mess of it.
Neptune was carved by Michelangelo’s apprentice Bartolomeo Ammannati. The original commission was given to Baccio Bandinelli (of Hercules and Cacus fame) but he died before even making a mark on the big block of Apuan marble.
The job was then given to Ammannati but unfortunately, his end result was not appreciated by either the locals nor the master (Michelangelo). It was rumored that Michelangelo’s only comment to the sculptor was “what a beautiful piece of marble you’ve ruined.”To add insult to injury the locals began to use the fountain to wash their clothes in.
Bitter Rivalry: When the winning sculptor Bandinelli died, having barely drafted the design, sculptor Benvenuto Cellini became enraged. Not only had his submission been rejected he was aghast that Ammannati had been given the nod to complete the fountain. In retaliation, he put pen to paper and wrote a satirical poem expressing pity on the poor marble that now was in the hands of Ammannati.
Fountain of Hard Knocks! : Standing in the middle of one of the busiest piazzas in Italy it is not surprising that the poor old Neptune Fountain has had its fair share of abuse and vandalism over the years. In fact, it has had so many incidents it is worth a recap.
At the end of the 16th century, the fountain was used by the locals as a tub to clean their dirty laundry. It became so popular in fact that if you look carefully (and can read Italian) there is a marble plaque on the wall of the Palazzo Vecchio which gives the address of the local police station and a nice little warning about using the fountain to wash clothes or to throw rubbish into.
On 25th January 1580, the first recorded vandalism of the statue occurred. All the decorations, apart from the four bronze figures and their satyrs, were damaged or destroyed.
In 1830 during a carnival, a group of masked men stole a bronze satyr which was later replaced by another (sculpted by Giovanni Pazzi).
1848 it was damage by Bourbon bombardments.
In 1981 the front hooves of one of Neptune’s chariot pulling horses were snapped off.
In 1982 one of Neptune’s shoulders was painted bright blue following a win by the Fiorentina soccer club.
In 1986 and 1989 the hooves of the horses were once again broken off.
A couple of years later a man wearing only underpants climbed the statue and removed the spiky ring which is used to deter pigeons from relieving themselves on it.
A young boy scaled Neptune early one morning and managed to break off Neptune’s right hand and his trident, before plummetting into the fountain below. All was caught on security cameras. This little episode resulted in 30 pieces of shattered Neptune and a shell having to be restored.
Vandals in 2005 once again scaled the 4. 2 metre statue breaking off the hand and trident.
It may help to know that the Neptune is actually a copy of the original and was made in the 19th century. The original is safe and sound inside the National Museum.
Other Neptune Statues From Around the World :
Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy. Yes, the fountain depicts Neptune.
Fountain of Neptune – Florence, Italy.
Fountain of Neptune – Madrid, Spain.
Neptune Fountain – Queluz, Portugal
Neptune Fountain – Palace of Versailles, France
Neptunbrunnen – Berlin, Germany
Spirit of the Sea – Devenport, Tasmania, Australia
Captain Arthur Phillip Fountain – Sydney, Australia. Call it clutching at straws but this fountain does feature a bronze statue of Neptune (complete with trident).