# Fountain of Neptune, Bologna > The Fountain of Neptune is one of Bologna's symbols, on Piazza del Nettuno next to Piazza Maggiore. Above the basin stands a huge bronze sea god with his trident by the sculptor Giambologna, with water spouting from putti and nereids below. Locals call him simply 'the Giant'. It's free to see at any hour; 15 to 20 minutes is enough. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna - City: [Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna), Italy - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - Opening hours: Open square, 24 hours - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, 24 hours - Artists: Giambologna (statue), Tommaso Laureti (fountain) - Built: 1563–1566 - Nearby: Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio, Sala Borsa - Time needed: 15–20 minutes - Location: Piazza del Nettuno, central Bologna - Coordinates: 44.49422, 11.34265 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1563–1566** — the fountain was built (source: English Wikipedia) - **Giambologna** — cast the bronze Neptune (source: English Wikipedia) - **'The Giant'** — the Bolognese nickname for the statue (source: English Wikipedia) - **2017–2018** — a major restoration (source: English Wikipedia) - **Nereids** — water jets spout from them at the base (source: English Wikipedia) ## History of the fountain The fountain was commissioned in the 1560s as Bologna smartened up the new centre beside Piazza Maggiore. The architect **Tommaso Laureti** designed the fountain, and the young Flemish sculptor **Giambologna**, later famous in Florence, cast the bronze **Neptune**. Work ran from **1563 to 1566**. Neptune stands on a tall pedestal, legs apart and one arm stretched over the square as if calming the waves. Locals promptly nicknamed him **'the Giant'**. The fountain was more than decoration: it announced that the city had a new water supply and could afford such a luxury. ## What to look for Walk all the way round. At the corners of the basin sit bronze **nereids**, sea nymphs spouting jets of water, with **putti** holding dolphins between them. The pedestal bears the arms of the popes and the city who paid for the work. **Neptune** himself looks completely different from each side of the square, now a stern lord of the sea, now a calmly standing hero. Many guides point out a particular spot from which the figure looks rather comical, so ask on a tour. Since the **2017–2018** restoration the bronze gleams again and every jet runs. ## What to see at the fountain - **Giambologna's Neptune** — the bronze Giant with his trident. - **Nereids and putti** — bronze figures round the basin. - **Piazza del Nettuno** — next to Piazza Maggiore. - **Palazzo d'Accursio** — the town hall behind the fountain. - **Sala Borsa** — a library with a glass floor over ruins. - **San Petronio Basilica** — a step away. > **The Sala Borsa next door** Right behind the fountain, in Palazzo d'Accursio, is the Sala Borsa city library, a former stock exchange with a vast covered courtyard. Its floor is glass, revealing the excavated ruins of the ancient city beneath. Entry is usually free, a great break from rain or heat. ## Piazza Maggiore and the centre The fountain stands on little **Piazza del Nettuno**, which opens into the city's main square, **Piazza Maggiore**, home to [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) and its unfinished front, the Palazzo d'Accursio town hall and Palazzo del Podestà with its whispering gallery. The [Asinelli and Garisenda towers](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) are five minutes away, and behind the town hall begins the old **Quadrilatero** market of cheese, ham and fresh-pasta shops and little trattorias serving tortellini and the famous Bolognese sauce, which locals simply call ragù. ## How to get to the Fountain of Neptune 1. The fountain is on **Piazza del Nettuno**, next to Piazza Maggiore. 2. From Bologna Centrale station, 20 minutes on foot along Via Indipendenza, or a bus to Via Rizzoli. 3. From the Two Towers, 5 minutes. 4. The centre is closed to cars, so walking is easiest. ## Tips for your visit The fountain is loveliest in the evening, when it's lit and students and musicians gather. By day the surrounding steps are a good place to rest with a gelato. Bathing in the fountain or climbing it is banned and fined. For a good photo, step back to the San Petronio steps, where the fountain stands against the town hall and its tower. Children enjoy finding all the bronze nereids and putti and counting the jets. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Walk all the way round the fountain - [ ] Find the nereids and putti - [ ] Look into the Sala Borsa library - [ ] Photograph it from the San Petronio steps - [ ] Come back at night for the lighting ## Places in Bologna: compare and choose Places in Bologna rated by YesGo. - [Towers of Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free outside - [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free ## Central Bologna in half a day The Fountain of Neptune, San Petronio on Piazza Maggiore, then the towers. 1. [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 2. [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 3. [Towers of Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free outside ## Don't mix it up Bologna's Fountain of Neptune and Florence's on Piazza della Signoria are different fountains: Bologna's is bronze, Florence's has a white marble figure. ## Tips - Free, open around the clock. - Lit up at night. - The Sala Borsa is next door. - Photos from the San Petronio steps. ## Questions ### Who made the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna? Giambologna cast the statue; Tommaso Laureti designed the fountain, in 1563–1566. ### Where is the Fountain of Neptune? On Piazza del Nettuno next to Piazza Maggiore, in central Bologna. ### Why is Neptune called 'the Giant'? Locals gave the huge bronze statue the nickname as soon as it went up. ### What's near the Fountain of Neptune? Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio, the town hall and the glass-floored Sala Borsa library. ### How long do you need at the fountain? 15 to 20 minutes; about an hour with Piazza Maggiore. ## How we checked History and description from English Wikipedia. The fountain is free and open at all hours. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Fountain of Neptune, Bologna - Official tourism site, bolognawelcome.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.