Fantastic Marine Creatures From the Late Renaissance: Pietro Tacca’s fountains in Florence’s Piazza della Santissima Annunziata

Abstract

In the 1550s Florence’s water supply was upgraded through the construction of a new aqueduct. Prior to that, water needs were supported by the remnants of a Roman aqueduct and by wells and cisterns. The new infrastructure increased the amount of available water and allowed for the construction of fountains in the city’s main squares, with themes principally derived from Greek and Roman mythologies. In 1641 the twin Mostri Marini (‘Marine Monsters’) fountains designed by Pietro Tacca were installed in the Piazza dellaSantissima Annunziata. The bronze and stone statues presented fantasy creatures whose flexuous shapes suggested moving fluid. But while these statues complemented the square, they were not originally planned for the location, having been intended for placement in the main Tuscan harbour town of Livorno. This study draws on high-resolution photogrammetry to analyse the structures with this specific digital survey being presented for the first time.