THE BOBOLI GARDEN, FLORENCE 



71 



nephew of Michael Angelo. In the facade of the grotto, amongst other adornments, are two rams 

 to represent the Capricorn constellation, and lower down a tortoise, the device of Cosimo I. The 

 statues of Apollo and Ceres at the entrance to the grotto were executed by Baccio Bandinelli ; 

 Paris and Helen are by Rossi da Fiesole ; and in the small inner grotto, painted by Poccetti, 

 is a charming marble fountain, its basin supported by four satyrs, from whose mouths little jets 

 shoot forth aimed at a figure of Venus carved by John of Bologna. This statue was executed 

 in the sculptor's early years, and was much 

 prized by Prince Francesco, who kept it 

 always in his chamber ; but that it did not 

 satisfy the artist in his later years is shown 

 by his having several times, in vain, entreated 

 that he might be allowed to improve it. 



Ascending the hillside from Buonta- 

 lenti's grotto, we pass a small walled enclosure 

 known as the garden of Madama, through 

 vineyards to the 'uccellaja,' or bird-snare, with 

 a terrace along one side, and a thicket over 



F 



which nets were spread for catching birds, 

 in a manner not uncommon till quite recent 

 years. Here is a fountain, illustrated in Plate 

 34, with a well-modelled figure of a youth. 

 A little higher up is the ' Caffeaus,' a garden 

 pavilion used for afternoon entertainment, 

 and from here we pass through ilex thickets 

 to the fountain of Neptune, with a statue of 

 the sea-god throwing his trident, with four 

 crouching mermen below ; the figures were 

 executed, in 1565, by Stoldo Lorenzi, a little 

 known artist, who was probably a pupil of 



r 



John of Bologna. The fountain basin is 

 surrounded by terraces in horseshoe form, 

 and on the uppermost is a large statue of 



' Abundance,' effectively placed against a dark ilex background. This is supposed to be a portrait 

 of the Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria, wife of Francesco I. ; the figure was commenced by 

 John of Bologna and finished by his pupil Tacca, and was erected here in 1636 to commemorate 

 the fact that during the troublous days of war and pestilence, Tuscany, alone of all Italy, revelled 

 in plenty under the benevolent rule of Ferdinand II. A little to the right, a winding stairway 

 leads to the ' Giardino del Cavaliere,' from whence a splendid view is obtained. This was the 



