The Fountain of the God Neptune is located in the city of Nettuno, near Rome in Italy. It is one of the main attractions that can be found in the ancient town and one of the meeting places for citizens.
The statue of Neptune and the shell
The Fountain of the God Neptune is the symbol of the city. Indeed the town bears the name of the pagan god of the sea. The monument is made up of two different parts. Indeed there are the statue of Neptune and the shell pulled by horses with an adjoining tank. The work depicts the God of the sea armed with a trident, resting on a fish and sitting on a shell pulled by horses.
The travertine statue was sculpted by the artist Ottavio De Angelis and donated to the city in 1882, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Albano-Nettuno railway.
The history of the Fountain of the God Neptune
It is located in Piazza Mazzini, but its location is not the original one. In the 19th century, the statue of Neptune was part of another fountain located in Piazza del Mercato. Today, only a part remains, which has become a public fountain. During the Second World War, however, the fountain suffered damage due to bombing. Then, during the reconstruction period, it was decided to move it to Piazza Mazzini, in its current location.
When relocating the monument, it was decided to give it a new look. Randolfo Belleudi created the horse-drawn shell on which the god Neptune still stands today. The work was completed between 1949 and 1950.
There have been several conservative interventions that have taken place over time, including that of 1997 by the “Nettuno Insieme” association. The restoration was carried out in 2015 which gave new life to the monument, bringing it back to the splendor of its origins.
