Fontana del Nettuno (Florence, Italy)

The Fountain of Neptune (Italian: Fontana del Nettuno) is situated in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy, near the northwest corner of the Palazzo Vecchio. It was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1559 to celebrate his gift of clean water to the city, and later was appropriated to celebrate the marriage of his son and heir apparent Francesco de' Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. The fountain was designed by Baccio Bandinelli, and executed by Bartolomeo Ammannati with several other artists between 1560 and 1574. It incorporates mythological figures and iconographies that symbolize Cosimo I de' Medici's power and the union of Francesco and Joanna. It sustained considerable damage over the years and was restored in 2019.