The statue of Cosimo I de' Medici stands in the middle of Knights' Square of Pisa, just in front of Palazzo della Carovana.
It was commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I in 1596 to the Franco-Flemish sculptor Pietro Francavilla, who executed it in the elegant Late Mannerist tradition. The statue celebrates Ferdinando's father as the first Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. Stephen and is a civic symbol of the hegemony of Florence.
The Grand Duke Cosimo is represented in the robes of Grand Master, standing on a high pedestal, in the act of subduing a dolphin, symbol of his domination over the seas. The fountain, in front of the pedestal, was also erected by Francavilla. It has a basin in the form of a shell decorated with two grotesque monsters.
The statue has been damaged in the course of time.
-
Statue
-
Fountain
-
With Palazzo dell'Orologio
Coordinates: 43°43′10.20″N 10°24′00.57″E / 43.7195000°N 10.4001583°E / 43.7195000; 10.4001583
Famous quotes containing the words statue of and/or statue:
“The statue of Freedom has not been cast yet, the furnace is hot, we can all still burn our fingers.”
—Georg Büchner (1813–1837)
“All over France, in every city there stand cathedrals like this one, triumphant monuments of the past. They tower over the homes of our people like mighty guardians, keeping alive the invincible faith of the Christian. Every arch, every column, every statue is a carved leaf out of our history, a book in stone, glorifying the spirit of France.”
—Sonya Levien (1895–1960)