In the center of the Piazza del Nettuno, in front of the entrance to the Palazzo di Re Enzo, stands the Fountain of Neptune, which the Bolognese call the Giant; in fact, the bronze statue of the sea god is 3.20 meters tall and weighs 22 quintals.
In 1563, Pope Pius IV gave orders to erect a large fountain and the painter Tommaso Laureti was commissioned to execute the work. After the projects were completed, the artist chose the Flemish sculptor Jean de Boulogne, called Giambologna, who was then working in Florence for the Medici. For the sum of a thousand golden shields, the Flemish artist agreed to realize the sculptural parts of the fountain, which was completed in 1566.
Built in marble and bronze it is the symbol of papal power: as Neptune dominates the waters, so the Pope dominates the world. At the feet of the God are in fact four putti, representing Gange, Nile, Rio of the Amazons and Danube, ie the rivers of the then known continents.