Tuesday, December 31, 2013

FOUNTAIN OF THE TURTLES

FONTANA DELLE TARTARUGHE
1581/84 designed by Giacomo Della Porta (1533/1602), the designer of many Roman fountains
Elegant bronze sculptures of "Youths" by Taddeo Landini (about 1550/96)
They are on top of four shells made out of portasanta marble
The upper basin is made out of gray African marble
"Turtles" (they replaced the dolphins of the original project) added during a restoration in 1658, maybe by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) or Andrea Sacchi (1599/1661)
Since 1906 the turtles were stolen several times but they were always recovered. Eventually in 1979 one was stolen and it was never recovered: the ones visible today are copies, which have replaced also the three original ones now in the Capitoline Museums

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