Fountain of Neptune, Florence

Last updated
The Fountain of Neptune at mid-day Fontana del Nettuno (Firenze) left.jpg
The Fountain of Neptune at mid-day

The Fountain of Neptune in Florence, Italy, (Italian : Fontana del Nettuno) is situated in the Piazza della Signoria (Signoria Square), in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The fountain was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1559 to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de' Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. Cosimo I de' Medici was the Duke of Florence from 1537-1569 and responsible for a vast number of architectural and artistic elements in Florence that still exist today.

Contents

The fountain was designed by Baccio Bandinelli, but created by Bartolomeo Ammannati with the assistance of several other artists between 1560 and 1574. It incorporates a series of mythological figures and iconographies that symbolize both Cosimo I de' Medici's power and the union of Francesco and Joanna.

It has sustained a great deal of damage over the years due to vandalism and general mistreatment but underwent a major restoration completed in 2019 that restored it to its original glory.

History

Creation

In 1559, Cosimo I de' Medici held a competition to select an artist to build the Fountain Of Neptune. The fountain was commissioned both in celebration of Cosimo's gift of clean water to the city and to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de' Medici I to the Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. [1] [2] Don Vincenzo Borghini was Cosimo's iconographer and responsible for overseeing the project. [3] The commission was originally granted to Baccio Bandinelli, but after his untimely death in 1560, before the project began, the commission was given to his student Bartolomeo Ammannati. This was the second commission Ammannati had received from Cosimo; his first commission was for the Grand Hall Fountain which was in celebration of Cosimo successfully bringing fresh water into the city. [4] Ammannati created The Fountain of Neptune based on the designs drawn by Bandinelli. [5] Although Ammannati was the fountain's main sculptor he was assisted by several artists throughout the completion from 1560-1574. Some of the artists include Vincenzo de' Rossi, who cast the four satyrs, and the Flemish artist Giambologna. Rossi was also commissioned by Cosimo to create the Labors of Hercules after he lost the competition for the Neptune project. The sculptors who assisted in carving the giant marble Neptune were Andrea Calamech, Battista Fiammeri, and Cesare di Nicodemo. [6]

The Fountain of Neptune consists of many different parts; aside from the giant Neptune atop a shell-shaped horse-drawn chariot, the fountain also has Tritons, Satyrs, two young women with Putti, two young men with dolphins, and Fauns. [6] Neptune's features were modeled after Cosimo I de' Medici, which was appropriate parallel due to Cosimo's recent victory over Pisa, giving Florence safe access to the Mediterranean for trade. [1] Ammannati's Neptune was unique because of its incredibly large scale and even though there were several Neptune fountains around Italy at the time, none of them had Neptune atop a horse-drawn chariot. The fountain was being built to celebrate the marriage of Francesco and Joanna, and the association of chariots with festivals and pageants could be the reason for Bandinelli's unusual incorporation of a horse-chariot. [5] Because the fountain's scale was so large, it forced Ammannati to make some innovative choices when constructing his giant Neptune. Two of the horses were white marble, but the other two were made of mischio, a marble discovered near the Duke's excavation site in Seravezza. [5] This new marble was a type of breccia and had a variety of colors including red, yellow and purple. [7] Because this was a new medium, its qualities were unknown to sculptors at the time and the hard, brittle quality of the mischio made Ammannati's task even more difficult. Due to the brittle quality of mischio the columns of stone broke in transit, creating delays in the fountain's completion. Ammannati was finally able to carve the remainder of the horse and complete the fountain in 1574. The project was intended to be completed by 1565 for the celebration of Francesco de' Medici I and Joanna of Austria's wedding, but due to a myriad of delays in sourcing supplies for the fountain's completion, Ammannati was forced to come up with a temporary solution for the arrival of Johanna of Austria. Through the use of stucco and paint, Ammannati was able to create the illusion of a finished product. The combination of the Neptune as the subject matter and Ammannati's use of the duke's newly found stone (mischio) made the fountain symbolic of the duke's reign over the Mediterranean and the mountains. [5]

Patron

Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence from 1537-1569, was largely responsible for shaping Florence into the city of the art and architecture that still stands today. Because of the significant transformation Florence underwent during his reign, Cosimo was often compared to Augustus and considered himself to be the architect of the new age of Florence. [3] Some of Cosimo's most significant contributions to Florence include: The Sala Grande in the Palazzo Della Signoria, the Uffizi, the Fountain of Neptune, the Boboli Gardens, completing the Pitti Palace, and renovating churches such as Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. Although Cosimo contributed extensively to the city, it was not without personal gain. Cosimo's patronage was not only to provide public spaces and art for the citizens to enjoy, but it was also for his own political interests. His renovation of the churches were driven by a desire to gain favor with Rome and earn a grand ducal crown, which he received in 1569. The festivals he held between 1560 and 1574 were orchestrated to please the masses, while in turn, glorifying his reign. Behind Cosimo's commissions was an underlying glorification of the Medici Dynasty and his reign over Florence. [3]  Cosimo was not only a patron of the arts but he also freed Florence from imperial authority and established himself as lord of the new state of Florence. [6] [3]

The fountain after its hand was cut off by vandals on the night of August 4, 2005 Neptune fountain florence hand.jpg
The fountain after its hand was cut off by vandals on the night of August 4, 2005

Vandalism and Restoration

The Fountain of Neptune began to suffer damages from almost the moment it was unveiled. Shortly after the unveiling, locals began to use the fountain as a washbasin for inkpots and laundry, causing a damage and discoloration to the marble. [8] The fountain suffered a great deal of vandalism between 1580-1989. In 1580, almost the entire fountain was vandalized, leaving only a few figures untouched. The fountain was then damaged during celebrations in 1830 and 1848. Over the course of the 1980s there were several occasions in which the horses were damaged and another incident where Neptune's shoulder was painted after Italy won the World Cup in 1982. [9] Finally, on August 3, 2005, a vandal attempted to climb Neptune which resulted in the loss of a hand, a broken trident and damage to the chariot. [10] [9] As a result of the damage the fountain endured over the years, the city implemented stricter security measures in 2007 and 2009 by installing CCTV and increasing police patrols to help prevent vandalism. [9]

The Ferragamo family have long been patrons of the arts and have donated copious amounts of money towards the restoration of Florentine art. Salvatore Ferragamo played a large role in the 2019 restoration of the Fountain of Neptune by donating 1.5 million euros to the project. Because of the new Art Bonus program started in 2014, private donors such as Ferragamo are now able to receive a tax deduction for any donations made toward the city's art restoration efforts. Thanks to Ferragamo's generous donation, the long overdue restoration of the fountain began in early 2017 and was completed in 2019. During the restoration the pump that had not functioned since 1987 was finally replaced with a new stainless-steel system. Other repairs included removing stains from the marble, patching cracks and restoring rusted bronze figures. [11]

Mythology

Wheel on Neptune's chariot with Zodiac signs Firenze - Florence - Piazza della Signoria - View South on La Fontana del Nettuno - the Neptune Fountain 1575.jpg
Wheel on Neptune's chariot with Zodiac signs

At first glance, the Zodiac signs engraved on Neptune's chariot follow a traditional pattern starting with Aries and ending with Virgo; however, after closer examination, the depiction of Virgo does not follow a traditional representation of Virgo as Virgin, but instead depicts her as a bride. Additionally, Virgo is presented with a unicorn seated on her lap. The combination of these two unusual elements alludes to biblical symbolism. These two figures are anointing this fountaining as a baptistry and proclaiming the water's purity. Philosophers such as Andrea Bacci suggest that the Virgo in Ammannati's fountain is representing Christ's bride and the unicorn represents the Christ child. Due to the well-established association of purity with both Virgo and unicorns, Ammannati's combination of these two figures creates a clear representation of Christ's purity. [12] In Greek mythology, the unicorn's purity was so strong that even by placing the tip of its horn in water, it could purify the most toxic water. In Virgo's right hand we see a loaf of bread where an ear of corn usually lies, furthering the idea that this fountain is being proclaimed as a baptistry. [12]

Close up of Neptune in static pose Fountain of Neptune, Florence - 48180177167.jpg
Close up of Neptune in static pose

The representation of Neptune in the Renaissance is particularly interesting because unlike many of the other Olympian deities, there were no surviving classical sculptures depicting Neptune available to artists in the Renaissance. [13] This meant that the representation of Neptune was based upon the artist's personal interpretation of what he should look like. Because of this, the Italian representation of Neptune was different than that of Greek tradition. Unlike Neptune in Greek mythology, the Italian interpretation of Neptune was more human than god, much like Hercules. [13] Over the course of the fifteenth century three main representations of Neptune emerged: static which was popular between the 1530s through 1560s, dynamic which was popular between 1504 and 1566, and synthesized which was an amalgamation of the two styles. [13] The Neptune in Ammannati's Fountain was built in a static style, standing atop his chariot of horses. The representation of Neptune in static style was popular in Florence at the time and was frequently used in fountains; however, there are two elements worth noting that made Ammannati's representation of Neptune slightly different than others. Ammannati's Neptune is wearing a crown and holding a lash in his right hand. Both the crown and the lash were a reference to earthly rulers, making this specific representation of Neptune symbolic of a contemporary ruler i.e. Cosimo I de' Medici, rather than an Olympian deity. [13]

Similar statuary

Cosimo I de' Medici commissioned a second Fountain of Neptune in 1565. This second fountain was a bronze sculpture created by Stoldo Lorenzi and was placed in the main axis of the Boboli Garden behind the Palazzo Pitti in Florence and was a symbol of the Medici's power over Florence. [14] Another Fountain of Neptune lies in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore. This fountain was commissioned by Cardinal Legate Charles Borromeo and was built between 1563-1566 by a nameless Flemish artist known as Giambologna who also assisted with The Fountain of Neptune in Florence. [15] [16]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Paoletti, John. T; Radke, Gary M. (9 August 2018). Art in Renaissance Italy. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing. p. 460. ISBN   978-1-85669-439-1 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Crum, Rodger J.; Paoletti, John T. (April 2006). Renaissance Florence: A Social History. Cambridge University Press. p. 133. ISBN   9780521727877 – via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Van Veen, Henk Th. (2006). Cosimo I de' Medici and His Self-Representation in Florentine Art and Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9780521837224.
  4. ↑ Morris, Roderick C. (2011). "In Florence, Revelations in Stone".
  5. 1 2 3 4 Else, Felicia M. (July 2005). "La Maggior Porcheria Del Mondo': Documents for Ammannati's Neptune Fountain". Burlington Magazines Publications. 147 (1228): 487–491. JSTOR   20074040 – via JSTOR.
  6. 1 2 3 Utz, Hildegard (May 1973). "A Note on Ammannati's Apennine and on the Chronology of the Figures for His Fountain of Neptune". The Burlington Magazine. 115 (842): 295–300. JSTOR   877303 – via JSTOR.
  7. ↑ Else, Felicia (2011). "Moving Stones, Managing Waterways, and Building an Empire for Duke Cosimo I de' Medici". The Sixteenth Century Journal. 42: 393–425. JSTOR   23076789 – via JSTOR.
  8. ↑ McGee, Anna (12 July 2016). "New life for the Neptune Fountain - The Florentine". Theflorentine.net. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Pirro, Dierdre (19 May 2011). "The White Giant - The Florentine". Theflorentine.net. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Italy Neptune statue loses hand". BBC News . BBC. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  11. ↑ Salibian, Sandra (March 26, 2019). "Salvatore Ferragamo Unveils Restored Fountain of Neptune in Florence". Women's Wear Daily.
  12. 1 2 Mandel, Corinne (Fall 2001). "The Zodiacal Virgo on the Neptune Fountain in Florence". Source: Notes in the History of Art. 21 (1): 10–16. doi:10.1086/sou.21.1.23206970. ISSN   0737-4453. S2CID   191376363 – via JSTOR.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Freedman, Luba (Fall 1995). "Neptune in classical and Renaissance visual art". International Journal of the Classical Tradition. 2 (2): 219–237. doi:10.1007/bf02678622. ISSN   1073-0508. S2CID   162370753 – via JSTOR.
  14. ↑ Paolucci, Raffaella; Tanganelli, Marco; Verdiani; Giorgio (2018). Great Statues and Seismic Vulnerability–A Photogrammetric Approach for Early Safeguard (PDF). Vienna: Museen der Stadt Wien – Stadtarchäologie. ISBN   978-3-200-06576-5.
  15. ↑ Kren, Emil; Marx, Daniel (eds.). "GIAMBOLOGNA". Web Gallery of Art.
  16. ↑ Grippi, Rosalind (1956). "A Sixteenth Century Bozzetto". The Art Bulletin. 38 (3): 143–147. doi:10.1080/00043079.1956.11408328. JSTOR   3047656 – via JSTOR.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartolomeo Ammannati</span> Italian architect and sculptor

Bartolomeo Ammannati was an Italian architect and sculptor, born at Settignano, near Florence, Italy. He studied under Baccio Bandinelli and Jacopo Sansovino and closely imitated the style of Michelangelo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence</span> Largest city in Tuscany, Italy

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 360,930 inhabitants in 2023, and 984,991 in its metropolitan area.

<i>David</i> (Michelangelo) Renaissance statue in Florence, Italy

David is a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance sculpture, created from 1501 to 1504 by Michelangelo. With a height of 5.17 metres, the David was the first colossal marble statue made in the early modern period following classical antiquity, a precedent for the 16th century and beyond. David was originally commissioned as one of a series of statues of twelve prophets to be positioned along the roofline of the east end of Florence Cathedral, but was instead placed in the public square in front of the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence, where it was unveiled on 8 September 1504. In 1873, the statue was moved to the Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence, and in 1910 replaced at the original location by a replica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baccio Bandinelli</span> Italian artist (1493–1560)

Baccio Bandinelli, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, draughtsman, and painter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pazzi</span> Italian noble family in the Middle Ages

The Pazzi were a powerful family in the Republic of Florence. Their main trade during the fifteenth century was banking. In the aftermath of the Pazzi conspiracy in 1478, members of the family were banished from Florence and their property was confiscated; the family name and coat-of-arms were permanently suppressed by order of the Signoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giambologna</span> 16th–17th century Flemish-born sculptor in Italy

Giambologna, also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small works in bronze and marble in a late Mannerist style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosimo I de' Medici</span> Duke of Florence later Grand Duke of Tuscany (1537–1574)

Cosimo I de' Medici was the second duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli</span> Italian sculptor

Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, also known as Giovann'Agnolo Montorsoli, was a Florentine sculptor and Servite friar. He is today as often remembered for his restorations of famous classical works as his original creations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boboli Gardens</span> Park in Florence, Italy

The Boboli Gardens is a historical park of the city of Florence that was opened to the public in 1766. Originally designed for the Medici, it represents one of the first and most important examples of the Italian garden, which later served as inspiration for many European courts. The large green area is a real open-air museum with statues of various styles and periods, ancient and Renaissance that are distributed throughout the garden. It also has large fountains and caves, among them the splendid Buontalenti grotto built by the artist, architect, and sculptor Bernardo Buontalenti between 1536 and 1608.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palazzo Vecchio</span> Town hall of Florence, Italy

The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo's David statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piazza della Signoria</span> Public square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy

Piazza della Signoria is a w-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio. It is the main point of the origin and history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political focus of the city. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loggia dei Lanzi</span> Historic building in Florence, Italy

The Loggia dei Lanzi, also called the Loggia della Signoria, is a building on a corner of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy, adjoining the Uffizi Gallery. It consists of wide arches open to the street. The arches rest on clustered pilasters with Corinthian capitals. The wide arches appealed so much to the Florentines that Michelangelo proposed that they should be continued all around the Piazza della Signoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro Tacca</span> Italian sculptor

Pietro Tacca was an Italian sculptor, who was the chief pupil and follower of Giambologna. Tacca began in a Mannerist style and worked in the Baroque style during his maturity.

<i>Hercules and Cacus</i> Sculpture by Baccio Bandinelli

Hercules and Cacus is an Italian Renaissance sculpture in marble to the right of the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duchy of Florence</span> Historical state in present-day Italy

The Duchy of Florence was an Italian principality that was centred on the city of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. The duchy was founded after Pope Clement VII, himself a Medici, appointed his relative Alessandro de' Medici as Duke of the Florentine Republic, thereby transforming the Republic of Florence into a hereditary monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro Francavilla</span> French sculptor

Pierre Franqueville, generally called Pietro Francavilla, was a Franco-Flemish sculptor trained in Florence, who provided sculpture for Italian and French patrons in the elegant Late Mannerist tradition established by Giambologna.

<i>Perseus with the Head of Medusa</i> 16th-century sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini

Perseus with the Head of Medusa is a bronze sculpture made by Benvenuto Cellini in the period 1545–1554. The sculpture stands on a square base which has bronze relief panels depicting the story of Perseus and Andromeda, similar to a predella on an altarpiece. It is located in the Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. The second Florentine duke, Cosimo I de' Medici, commissioned the work with specific political connections to the other sculptural works in the piazza. When the piece was revealed to the public on 27 April 1554, Michelangelo's David, Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus, and Donatello's Judith and Holofernes were already installed in the piazza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I</span>

The Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I is a bronze equestrian statue executed by Giambologna from 1587 to 1594, and erected in 1594 in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

<i>Florence Triumphant over Pisa</i> 16th century sculpture by Giambologna

Florence Triumphant over Pisa is an Italian Renaissance sculpture by Giambologna, existing in two versions, as well as a small wax modello. The first is a full-size modello in gesso (plaster) executed in 1565, still in the Palazzo Vecchio Florence, for which it was created. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a small wax study, and a small model in clay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Renaissance sculpture</span>

Italian Renaissance sculpture was an important part of the art of the Italian Renaissance, in the early stages arguably representing the leading edge. The example of Ancient Roman sculpture hung very heavily over it, both in terms of style and the uses to which sculpture was put. In complete contrast to painting, there were many surviving Roman sculptures around Italy, above all in Rome, and new ones were being excavated all the time, and keenly collected. Apart from a handful of major figures, especially Michelangelo and Donatello, it is today less well-known than Italian Renaissance painting, but this was not the case at the time.

References

43°46′10.48″N11°15′21.87″E / 43.7695778°N 11.2560750°E / 43.7695778; 11.2560750

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.