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Neptune fountain
Dresden’s most significant baroque fountain

History

The Neptunbrunnen or „Neptune Fountain”, located in the garden of the Dresden-Friedrichstadt City Hospital, is one of the most magnificent baroque fountains in Europe.

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1744_zeichnung_neptunbrunnen

 It was completed in 1746 to a design attributed to Zacharias Longuelune which court sculptor, Lorenzo Matielli, used when completing this sandstone creation.

The 48 meter-wide baroque fountain culminates in a three-tier cascade. A carriage of shells drawn by two hippocampi forms the center piece. Above this Scene stands Neptune, his foot mounted firmly on a dolphin. To one side sits his wife, Amphitrite. Their carriage is steered by a Nereid and a Zephyr. Triton leads the Group blowing on his conch shell horn. On pedestals to the left and right, the great river gods of antiquity are enthroned: To the right, the Nile; to the left, the Tiber. The reliefs below the pedestals are decorated with motifs which depict the respective river gods: Below the Tiber, Romulus and Remus with their wolf mother. The Nile represented by a Sphinx surrounded by children. Steps lead down on either side of the fountain rounded off by vases whose reliefs relate to stories from the Greek mythology: Artemis, Dionysus, Apollo and Pan.

While the fountain itself is available for viewing 24 hours a day since it is in the public gardens of the hospital, the waterworks are actually turned on daily during the season from 11.30 am till 1.30 pm and again from 4.00 pm till 6.00 pm. On Sundays and Public Holidays viewing is from 10.00 am till 12.30 pm and again from 3.00 pm till 6.00 pm. Incorporadet society

Please help us to save Dresden’s most significant baroque fountain!

Verein der Freunde des Städtischen Klinikums Dresden e. V.
President: Falk Stösslein

Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden
IBAN: DE50 8505 0300 3120 0454 29
BIC: OSDDDE81XXX

Imprint/Contact

Verein der Freunde des Städtischen Klinikums Dresden e. V.

President:
Falk Stösslein
Veepees:
Prof. Dr. med. Falk Stösslein
Viviane Piffczyk
Stefan Ziesche
Sabine Hunger

Webmaster: NeptunbrunnenDD@desaxe.de