Fontana del Nettuno

Bologna's Fountain of Neptune stands beside Piazza Maggiore, a Renaissance ensemble of marble and bronze crowned by Giambologna's monumental sea god. The figure's popular name, the Giant, reflects its place in the city's identity.

Why it matters

Built between 1563 and 1566, the fountain combined Tommaso Laureti's design with Giambologna's sculpture. Its political imagery compared Neptune's command of the waters with papal authority, making civic space a setting for a message of power.

What to notice

Neptune holds a trident and extends a hand above the lower figures. Four putti personify the Ganges, Nile, Amazon and Danube, while nereids and other sculptural elements animate the basin. The arrangement connects the central figure with the surrounding square and the adjoining civic palaces.

Context and history

The square was opened by demolishing a medieval block between Palazzo Re Enzo and the Palazzo del Comune. During the Second World War the bronze statue was removed in February 1943 for protection, later stored beneath the town hall and returned to the fountain in May 1946. Its removal and return became part of the city's memory of the war.