Island Basin

Description

At the end of the pathway, the botanical decor changes abruptly, the cypresses and hedges disappear, and we arrive at the soft forms of the Island Basin, also called Isolotto and conceived by Alfonso and Giulio Parigi from 1618, in place of an "island of Venus" whose statues were later repurposed elsewhere (such as the cherubs in the Artichoke fountain). The forecourt is surrounded by holm oak hedges about 12 meters high, providing a backdrop for the numerous stone and marble statues depicting various subjects: mythological, historical, rural, and commoners. In the center of the square is the large circular pool, with the island in the center connected to the mainland by two walkways. The large gates of the walkways are supported by two columns, on each of which is a statue of a capricorn, an animal symbolic of the power of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. On either side of the columns are fanciful fountains in the shape of male "harpies," pouring water into shell-shaped basins with a complex grotesque decoration of sea creatures. On the axis perpendicular to the Viottolone are four fountains at the level of the outer balustrade, two on each side: the fountains of the Harpies and the fountains of the Putti, decorated with entwined dolphins, sea animals, fantastic masks and statues in the round on top. Near these fountains, several striking marble groups from the school of Giambologna (1637) emerge from the water of the pool: the Perseus on horseback (southeast) and Andromeda with her ankles chained in the rock (northwest); in particular, the Perseus is placed as if jumping out of the water, an effect that was emphasized by the gushes of water. In the middle of the basin, the island is surrounded by a stone railing, in the hollows of which are housed the terracotta jars that in the summer months contain the collection of citrus and other decorative plants; citrus is also found lined up on the walkways. The