Fountain of Neptune

The Neptune Fountain, in Bologna

The Neptune Fountain is one of the symbols of Bologna, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture. The Bologna audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this emblematic monument, dominated by the bronze statue of the god of the sea, nicknamed the Giant.

The bronze Giant of the Renaissance

The Neptune Fountain is one of the most famous and emblematic monuments of Bologna. Erected in the sixteenth century on a square neighbouring Piazza Maggiore, it was commissioned to glorify the pontifical power and the grandeur of the town. Its masterpiece is the great bronze statue that crowns it, representing the god Neptune, master of the seas, in a majestic pose, the trident in hand. This monumental sculpture, by the famous sculptor Jean de Bologne, called Giambologna, is nicknamed by the Bolognese il Gigante, the Giant. The basin is adorned with allegorical figures, nereids and water jets. A symbol of the power and the beauty of Bologna, the Neptune Fountain is one of the most photographed and prized sites of the town.

What to see

You admire the great bronze statue of the god Neptune, trident in hand, a masterpiece of the sculptor Giambologna nicknamed the Giant by the Bolognese, crowning a basin adorned with allegorical figures, nereids and water jets, near Piazza Maggiore. The Neptune Fountain is a symbol of Bologna. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Neptune Fountain lies on a square neighbouring Piazza Maggiore, in the heart of Bologna, reachable on foot. It is an open-air monument, freely visible from the public space. You discover it as soon as you arrive in the heart of the town.

Who made the Neptune Fountain in Bologna?

Its great bronze statue of the god Neptune, nicknamed the Giant by the Bolognese, is the work of the famous sculptor Jean de Bologne, called Giambologna, in the sixteenth century; the fountain was erected to glorify the grandeur of the town.

Where is the Neptune Fountain?

On a square neighbouring Piazza Maggiore, in the heart of Bologna, in Italy.