Right ahead you’ll spot a tall, dramatic bronze figure of Neptune with a trident, surrounded by lively sea creatures and mermaids cascading water-just look for the giant statue on a marble basin right at the heart of Piazza del Nettuno.
Welcome to the Fountain of Neptune, or as the Bolognese affectionately call it, “al Żigànt”-the Giant. As you stand in front of this stunning monument, picture the 1560s: the smoke of demolished medieval houses still lingering in the square, making way for this very fountain-a new centerpiece for a city eager to show off its riches and papal prestige. Imagine craftsmen and stonemasons bustling around, while a crowd gathers in anticipation.
But this isn’t just any fountain! Crafted in a fiery collaboration between the Flemish sculptor Giambologna and the architect Tommaso Laureti, it was commissioned by Pier Donato Cesi, the Pope’s right-hand man in Bologna, to celebrate the “munificence”-that’s the generosity-of Pope Pius IV. The message was clear: just as Neptune commands the seas, the Pope commands Bologna, promising peace, order...and maybe a few grand aquatic spectacles.
Standing atop the marble, Neptune holds his left hand out with a flourish, braving the wind as though calming a storm. At his feet, four charming little cherubs wrestle with dolphins, symbolizing the four great rivers of the known world-Ganges, Nile, Amazon, and Danube. The base is guarded by voluptuous nereids proudly holding their own-let’s say, fountains-each a nod to old legends and the seas connecting continents. Try not to get splashed-it’s happened before!
Now, right beneath your soles is a touch of local mischief. See if you can spot a dark stone in the pavement nearby-this is the “pietra della vergogna,” the stone of shame. If you stand on it and look up at Neptune, his outstretched thumb makes for a rather cheeky optical illusion-the statue appears a bit more… well-endowed, shall we say? Giambologna was clever: he found a way to outsmart the watchful Vatican censors! You might not be the first to snicker-try not to blush.
But Neptune wasn’t always treated like a god. Back in the day, the good people of Bologna saw an opportunity in all this free water. Market vendors would swoop in from Piazza Maggiore, rinsing off their vegetables, while the local laundresses went to work scrubbing laundry on the marble, no matter the protests. In 1588, the city even passed a law: anyone caught turning Neptune’s fountain into a washhouse would face fifty lashes or some rope time! You’d think that’d put a stop to it, but the Bolognese are famously stubborn.
Things got worse when people started using the fountain as an open-air restroom-ugh! Eventually, a tall fence was built in 1604, but that only lasted until 1888 when the city decided the Giant deserved his freedom again.
Over the centuries, Neptune has had more spa days than most celebrities. As early as 1705, the statue needed a quick polish-meaning lots of patching, oiling, and inventive fixes. Wars and neglect threatened him, too. During World War I, the entire statue was packed away to keep it safe; during World War II, off Neptune went again, hiding in storage away from bombings and looters. Each time he returned, he got a freshened look, especially after modern restorations in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Look closely at the base-see the Latin inscriptions? They declare its purpose: a gift for the beauty of the square, a public work paid for by the people, built for the people’s use. The communities’ names are inscribed for posterity, linking today’s visitors to a long heritage.
Neptune’s trident did more than command water-it even inspired the logo on Maserati race cars! So, next time you see a luxury car speeding by, you’ll know it was the mighty Neptune of Bologna that pointed the way.
Standing here, amid the perpetual dance of water and history, you’re witnessing layers of civic pride, scandal, resilience, and humor that have echoed through these stones for over four centuries. Next to the grandeur and the giggles, you can almost hear the cheers and the gossip that have swirled around this statue since the day it first rose above the square. It’s truly a fountain fit for both a god and the wonderfully unruly people of Bologna.
