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Fountain of Neptune (Fontana del Nettuno)

The fountain stands in the Piazza della Signoria, beside the north-west corner of the Palazzo Vecchio. It was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammannati between 1565 and 1575 to commemorate the arrival of a new aqueduct, with Giambologna collaborating on the bronze figures. At the centre, a colossal Neptune in white Carrara marble stands on a chariot drawn by four sea horses, and his face is said to resemble that of Cosimo I de' Medici, an allusion to Florence's mastery of the sea. The Florentines soon nicknamed it the "Biancone", after the whiteness of the marble. At the corners of the octagonal basin are bronze sea gods, nymphs, satyrs and fauns. The fountain was restored in a two-year project begun in 2017 and completed in the spring of 2019, funded by the Ferragamo company at a cost of one and a half million euros.

Things to do at Fountain of Neptune (Fontana del Nettuno): 3 missions

• Count the sea horses pulling the chariotWalk round the basin and count the horses pulling Neptune's chariot. Notice how they merge with the waves carved in the marble.
• Look the Biancone in the faceStand in front of the statue of Neptune and study his face and his stance on the chariot. Compare it with the nickname the Florentines gave him for his very white marble.
• Find the bronze satyrs and nymphsWalk round the octagonal rim and find the bronze figures of satyrs, nymphs and fauns at the corners. Pick your favourite.

Near Fountain of Neptune (Fontana del Nettuno)

Source: Web oficial - Visit Tuscany