The Fountain of Neptune is an iconic monument, and the fitting conclusion to an extraordinary season of visionary and grandiose architectural and hydraulic works that still grace the city’s centre and its public spaces.
Water, the Fountain’s main feature, is once again springing from the newly restored masterpiece. Hidden mechanisms direct its action, revealing a complex and secret narrative of water, with its network of aqueducts, water canals and pipelines that outline the underground city and describe a scenery that is both invisible and utterly surprising.
The invention of Bologna, city of waters, can be traced back to 16th century projects that were undertaken in the spirit of highlighting the close links between city and water. Making use of selected works, documents and other material, the exhibition in Santa Maria della Vita illustrates the genesis of the project and the development of the Fountain of Neptune’s water system, starting from the Middle Ages and ancient Roman times to the infrastructural work of the Renaissance.