Neptune's Fountain

Gorgeous sculpture. Definitely left a long lasting impression. In the evening we witnessed a street musician here. The atmosphere was lovely.

Welcome to the square located in Bologna. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in which there are many Italian restaurants, cafes and a church. Greetings to you.

This fontana is located in one of the most important piazzas in Bologna. The details, the material, and the structure of it are just spectacular. No need to pay, no need to wait in a line hence it’s placed in the middle of the piazza, perfect!

Best fountain I ever saw, such details and with sense of humor. On the top is Neptune, god of seas and bellow are lactating nereid, women...water coming out of.... Well you need to see, a bold art for 16th century.

The marble Neptune fountain is located in the Piazza Nettuno next to the Piazza of Maggiore and it does gets very busy as is one of the main attractions in Bologna. It was built between 1563 and 1567 by Flemish sculpture and on top in Bronze is the God of Neptune in all his glory, and at the base there are four Nereids which are holding dolphins and represents the four major rivers in the world. The Nile, Danube, Amazon and the Ganges. On the base of the fountain are inscriptions in Latin. There's also a small marble fountain.

A very beautiful and interesting fountain. There is also a spring with market water next to it. The base is decorated with pontifical emblems, ornaments that – connected to four cherubs – hold dolphins (which are allegorical representation of major rivers from the then-known corners of the world: the Ganges, the Nile, the Amazon River, and the Danube.

Is he training for a MMA fight or what? Why is the statue in a cage it's ridiculous! It does look nice, but not in that thing. The city center should rethink their strategy for securing sights imho.

The Neptune fountain with the image of the ancient God is one of the symbols of Bologna. The fountain was built by the Pope himself. There is an immoral legend about the sculptor Gaibologna connected to the fountain. He allegedly once had very big problems with church dignitaries. When the sculptor was building this fountain, he realized that there was a nunnery nearby. He looked at the fountain and statue of Neptune from their direction and decided to mold his hand into genitalia. Even in this way, outrage was aroused a few hundred years ago. This place is a real gem, where history breathes on you.

Call us immature but we loved this fountain because we started calling Bologna the city of boobies after visiting it. I wish I spoke Italian so I could say it in a more romantic way, like the other nicknames for this city. And hey, we weren't the only ones because what supported our claim that we saw plenty of magnets and souvenirs decorated in this fashion. But more seriously, this fountain is lovely. The area has places to sit and enjoy people watching or having a snack. The rest of the piazza has great views and places to eat, drink and shop.

The fountain in the center of Bologna's main square was completed in 1565. The over-life-size bronze figure of the god Neptune was completed & fixed in place around 1566. I appreciated the water fountain in front; the free water was icy cold @ delicious. The fountain & sculpture are iconic symbols Bologna & references to them can be found in many symbols, commercials and logos. Neptune is stretching his left hand in a lordly gesture, appearing to be aiming to placate the waves. His posture symbolic of the power of the Pope as Neptune was the master of the seas, the Pope was the master of Bologna and of the world.

Nice piazza with a beautiful fountain. Great walking promenade to have an afternoon stroll or seat near by and take in the history and architecture around it.

It seems to me that every major city in Italy has a Neptune Fountain. This one is an early work by Giambologna. It is made of bronze and was completed about 1567. Neptune is extending his reach in a lordly gesture of trying to control and still the waters.

An beautiful 16th Century fountain with a large bronze statue of King Neptune in Piazza Nettuno (Neptune's Square). Around the base are a large number of cherubs and mermaids. The marvellous Palazzo Re Enzo serves as a grand backdrop. It's particularly impressive to see when floodlit at night.