The Fountain of Neptune in Florence, Italy, is situated in the Piazza della Signoria, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The fountain was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1559 to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de' Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. Cosimo I de' Medici was the Duke of Florence from 1537-1569 and responsible for a vast number of architectural and artistic elements in Florence that still exist today.
The Fountain of Neptune at mid-day
The fountain after its hand was cut off by vandals on the night of August 4, 2005
Wheel on Neptune's chariot with Zodiac signs
Close up of Neptune in static pose
The Boboli Gardens is a historical park of the city of Florence that was opened to the public in 1766. Originally designed for the Medici, it represents one of the first and most important examples of the Italian garden, which later served as inspiration for many European courts. The large green area is a real open-air museum with statues of various styles and periods, ancient and Renaissance that are distributed throughout the garden. It also has large fountains and caves, among them the splendid Buontalenti grotto built by the artist, architect, and sculptor Bernardo Buontalenti between 1536 and 1608.
The main axis through the anfiteatro centered on Palazzo Pitti
Image: Boboli pianta antica
Boboli Gardens Amphitheatre, viewed from the Palazzo Pitti
Bathing Venus by Giambologna as seen in the third chamber of the Buontalenti Grotto