Art and Art History Faculty Publications Art and Art History 7-2005 'La Maggior Porcheria Del Mondo': Documents for Ammannati's Neptune Fountain Felicia M. Else Gettysburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/arthfac Part of the Art and Design Commons, Fine Arts Commons, and the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons Share feedback about the accessibility of this item. Else, Felicia M. 'La Maggior Porcheria Del Mondo': Documents for Ammannati's Neptune Fountain. The urlB ington Magazine (2005) 147(1228):487-491. This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution. Cupola permanent link: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/arthfac/10 This open access article is brought to you by The uC pola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The uC pola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 'La Maggior Porcheria Del Mondo': Documents for Ammannati's Neptune Fountain Abstract The ts ory of the creation of the Neptune Fountain on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence is long and tortuous. Scholars have drawn on a wealth of documentary material regarding the competition for the commission, the various phases of the fountain's construction, and the critical reception of its colossus, both political and aesthetic. A collection of unpublished letters at the Getty Research Center in Los Angeles offers a new perspective on the making of this major public monument. Sent by Bartolomeo Ammannati to the prvveditore of Pisa, they chronicle the artist's involvement in the procurement and transportation of marble from Carrara and Seravezza for the chariot and basin of the fountain during the years 1565-73. The correspondence, excerpts from which are published here, shows that Ammannati faced numerous delays and mishaps, and continual pressure from his patrons during this second phase of the fountain's construction. The letters provide further insight into the personality of one of the most important artists at the court of Duke Cosimo I, whose role required the skills of a project manager and negotiator. The ommic ssion for a grandiose fountain in Florence's main square took much longer to complete than had been expected and taxed the artist's patience, persistence and resourcefulness. [excerpt] Keywords Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy, Getty Research Center, Ammannati, Neptune Fountain Disciplines Art and Design | Fine Arts | History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology This article is available at The uC pola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/arthfac/10 'La maggior porcheria del mondo': documents for Ammannati's Neptune Fountain by FELICIA M. ELSE, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg the story of on the creation of the Neptune Fountain the Piazza della Signoria in Florence (Fig.43) is long and tortuous. Scholars have drawn on a wealth of documentary material regarding the competition for the commission, the various phases of the fountain's construction, and the critical reception of its colossus, both political and aesthetic.1 A collection of unpublished letters at the Getty Research Center in Los Angeles offers a new perspective on the making of this major public monument.2 Sent by Bartolomeo to Ammannati the proweditore of Pisa, they chronicle the artist's 43- The Neptune Fountain, by Bartolomeo Ammannati. 1560-74. involvement in the and of marble from procurement transportation Marble and bronze. (Piazza della Signoria, Florence). Carrara and Seravezza for the chariot and basin of the fountain dur ing the years 1565?73.3 The correspondence, excerpts from which are published here, shows thatAmmannati faced numerous delays and mishaps, and continual pressure from his patrons during this cles in the cathedral; a sarcophagus of mischio adornsMichelangelo's second of the fountain's construction.4 The letters tomb in S. are phase provide Croce; there mischio niches, doorposts and architraves further insight into the personality of one of themost important in the Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti; and twomassive columns at court were one set artists the ofDuke Cosimo I,whose role required the skills of mischio quarried, up in Piazza S. Felice and another a of project manager and negotiator.5 The commission for a planned for Piazza S. Marco. As the head architect responsible for a in main to grandiose fountain Florence's square took much longer number of building projects, Ammannati kept track of nearly all than had been and taxed the artist's as complete expected patience, facets of the quarrying operation, such the sizes and availability of and resourcefulness. persistence barges, wages for staff, supplies of rope and fees for carts and mules.7 one The lettersrelate to of themost important ofDuke Cosimo's For the construction of theNeptune Fountain, the availability of projects: the reopening of the quarry at Seravezza and the expansion stone from Seravezza came not a moment too soon, and Amman of facilities there for quarrying and transportingmarble. The dis nati decided to use a mixture of marbles from the area, bianco and marmo near covery of the richly coloured mischio in the mountains mischio for themagnificent four-horse chariot and octagonal basin was Seravezza around 1563 attributed by Giorgio Vasari to Cosimo (Figs.44 and 45).8 To obtain themarble, aswell as that for his many and the stone was into other sent a himself, purplish incorporated prominent commissions, he host of drawings, models and written works of art and architecture For to throughout Florence.6 example, instructions from Florence the proweditori at Pisa, Francesco mischio corbels and footings decorate the choir and statuary taberna Busini and Giovanni Caccini, who, from that navigational hub, thanks to the My Getty Research Institute and Gettysburg College for their support including the column in Piazza S. Trinita and the remodelling of the Pitti Palace. 4 in funding this research and toWilliam E. Wallace and Michael S. Sherberg for their On the chariot and basin, see Else, op. dt. (note i), pp.i 11-66. 5 help with translating and interpreting the correspondence. Heikamp likens Ammannati to Vasari: both were in charge of a number of 1 For sources see were the various and discussion of theNeptune Fountain, B. Wiles: The projects that worked on simultaneously and relied on organised workshops to Fountains ofFlorentine Sculptors,Cambridge 1933, pp.50?54 and appendix A, pp.i 17? complete them; see Heikamp, op. dt. (note 1), p.21. 6 19; V. Bush: The Colossal Sculpture of theCinquecento, New York 1976, pp. 143-53; G. Vasari: Le vite de' pi? eccellentipittori scultoried architettori,ed. G. Milanesi, Flo H. Utz: 'A Note on the Chronology of Ammannati's Fountain of Juno', the rence 1906,1, p.201. Burlington magazine on 7 114 (1972), pp-394~95; idem: 'A Note Ammannati's Michelangelo had begun developing quarry production in Seravezza years before and on the of the his Fountain of on see Apennine Chronology Figures for Neptune', ibid. when working the fa?ade of S. Lorenzo; W. Wallace: Michelangelo at San Loren M. on zo. !I5 (I073)> PP-295_30o; Campbell: 'Observations Ammannati's Neptune The Genius as Entrepreneur,Cambridge 1980, pp.25-62. Cosimo I took an avid Fountain: and in A. 1565 1575', Morrogh, ed.: Renaissance Studies inHonor ofCraig interest in reopening and expanding these quarries and was kept constandy informed D. Hugh Smyth, Florence 1985, II, pp. 113-36; Heikamp: 'La Fontana del Nettuno of their progress. A number of relevant letters can be found inG. Gaye, ed.: Carteg in e sue Piazza della Signoria le acque', inN. Roselli Del Turco and F. Salvi, eds.: gio in?ditod'artisti dei secoliXIV. XV. XVI, Florence 1840, III, passim. On this enter Bartolomeo Ammannati scultore e architetto 1511-1592, Florence 1995, pp. 119-30; prise and Ammannati's duties and the relevant payment records from theArchivio di L. Zangheri: T marmi dell'Ammannati', in ibid., pp.322 and 324, notes 25?30; Stato di Firenze (hereafter cited as ASF), seeM. Fabretti and A. Guidarelli: 'Miniere C. Cinelli and F. Vossilla: 'Stralci del Fondo e cave Miniere deU'Archivio di Stato di d'argento di marmo', in G. Spini, ed.: Potere centralee struttureperiferiche nella Firenze (I)', Bollettino della sodeta di studifiorentini 5 (1999), pp. 102-04; and F. Else: Toscana '500, Florence 1980, pp. 139-74; L. Zangheri: 'La breccia medicea, detta di as 'Water and Stone: Ammannati's Neptune Fountain Public Ornament', Ph.D. diss. Seravezza', inD. Lamberini, ed.: Le pi?tre dettedtt? dTtalia, Florence 1995, pp.59-72; in St (Washington University Louis, 2003). Zangheri, op. dt. (note 1), pp.321-27; and C. Vasic Vatovec: 'L'impegno di Cosimo 2 were Fifty-six lettersfrom theGiannalisa Feltrinelli Library purchased by theGetty I de' Medici nel reperimento dei marmi e il ruolo dell'Ammannati', inRoselli Del a Research Institute in 1997 at sale at Christie's, London, 3rd December 1997, lots Turco and Salvi, op. dt. (note 1), pp.329-41. and 126. are 8 120, 121, 123, 125 At the Getty they catalogued under Bartolomeo Ammannati had already begun work on the colossal statue of Neptune and some as a Ammannati, Letters, 1560?1578, call no.970091 (hereafter cited BAL). For sum of the bronzes after he obtained the commission in 1560; see Utz 1973, op. dt. (note see mary, Christie's sale catalogue, The Giannalisa Feltrinelli Library. Part Two: Italian 1), pp.295-300. It remains unclear whether Ammannati changed the design of the Renaissance Manuscripts and Autograph Letters, London 1997, pp.13?24 (hereafter cited fountain when itwas decided to use Seravezzan marbles. For a discussion of the as Christie's 1997).