THE BOBOLI GARDEN, FLORENCE 
7i 
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 
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 ‘ Caffdaus,’ 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 
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 1 Giardino del Cavaliere,’ from whence a splendid view is obtained. This was the 
