Fountain of Neptune (Florence)
The fountain of Neptune of Florence ( Fontana del Nettuno ), also called It Biancone is on the Piazza della Signoria, just beside the Palazzo Vecchio.
Work of Bartolomeo Ammannati (1563-1565) and some of its pupils, among whom It Giambologna, the fountain was built for the marriage of François I {{er}} of Médicis and the large-duchess Jeanne of Austria in 1565. With the whole departure, the order had been made with Baccio Bandinelli which drew the plan but died of it before any beginning of realization.
The character of Neptune, out of white Carrara marble marble, refers of Cosme I {{er}} of Médicis and refers to the maritime power of Florence. He rests on a pedestal decorated by the statues with Scylla and Charybde in the center with an octagonal basin.
One tells that Florentins which came of number, nuitamment, to discover the statue, made more case of his whiteness, from where the name " Biancone" that of its beauty and that they launched the spade: " Ammannato, Ammannato, how much marble you wasted! ". Even if the statue were not particularly appreciated, work continued during ten years, the best sculptors of the city bringing their assistance for the circumference of the basin. One perceives there the influence of the Maniérisme with the sea horses, the satyrs dancing and the river divinities. The unit remains harmonious and coherent and constitutes an example for later works.
The fountain suffered many damage during the centuries: it was used as laundrette at the 16th century, it was vandalisée on January 25th, 1580, a satyr was stolen during the carnival of 1830 and it was bombarded by the Bourbons in 1848. August 4th, 2005, the right hand of Biancone as its three-pronged fork were damaged, following an attempt at climbing during the night (restoration in spring 2006).
Behind the fountain, on the wall of Palazzo Vecchio, an inscription is recalling how the Otto di Balia E di Guardia (ancestors of the municipal police of) prohibited to rinse the linen in the fountain or to make there other dirtinesses, under penalty of a strong fine or, for those which could not pay, of the torment of the cord particularly fears (the body is raised by a cord related to the hands crossed behind the back, this having effects on the use of the arms and the shoulders).
Sources
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