Essay On The Fountain Of Neptune

The Social History of the Fountain of Neptune

The decision of having the pagan god, Neptune, represent the city of Bologna was not an arbitrary one. During the renaissance period, Bologna was a large city that prospered from its hydraulic systems that would take advantage of three streams of which it had access. The usage of the streams ranged from simple everyday urban usage to both offensive and defensive capabilities in warfare.
The first stream was a multifunctional torrent named Aposa that bisected the city from north to south. As a stream that ran through the city, it played a pivotal role in contributing to the city defenses through moats. The waters ran through a deep ditch along the city wall that spanned nine kilometers according to a papal architect named Antonio da Sangallo when he reviewed the defenses of Bologna. Aposa saw uses in the city in terms of sanitation. Its waters were not only used to clear blood from the central slaughterhouse and meat

Laureti designed the fountain to be a symbol of the generosity and strong government rule of the papacy. In fact, the fountain was originally named “AQUA PIA” in honor of Pope Pius IV. Neptune was to be a metaphor for the Catholic Church. Neptune was designed with a strong body, but with an older face to reflect the wisdom of the pope. A similarity between rulers can be seen between Neptune and the Catholic Church as well. This is seen by the four cherubs pouring water that represent the rivers of the four continents known at the time. Later in August, Laureti contacted Giambologna, with a contract to sculpt the bronze figures and decorations for the fountain. The fountain was to be finished within ten months with an initial payment of three hundred scudi, but the fountain did not see its completion until after forty months in