Piazza del Nettuno

The square with the famous fountain boasting the bronze statue of Neptune

Adjacent to Piazza Maggiore, this square was created in 1564 to make room for the famous fountain boasting a bronze statue of Neptune, by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna, that the Bologna people love to call the “Giant”.
The statue quickly bestowed character to the square, becoming immediately controversial in the past for the nudity of Neptune and the undeniable erotic charge of the female figures spurting water from their breasts.
Today, it is a meeting place in downtown Bologna, surrounded by historic buildings such as the Palazzo del Podestà and Palazzo Re Enzo.