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The Fountain of the Dolphins

This magnificent monumental fountain gets its name from the two dolphins and the central sea monster with the head of a dolphin and the paws and claws of an earthly creature, from whose throats gush the powerful jets of water that feed the huge basin beneath them that is 470 metres long, 27 wide and 3 deep.
The project was created by Vanvitelli for the Park and envisaged a perfect symbiosis between nature and architectonic ingenuity: in fact, also in this fountain the sculptures are placed on rocks that stand against a semicircular wall surmounted by a wrought iron balustrade. They are the work of the sculptor Gaetano Salomone who produced them between 1776 and 1779.
When the fountain was completed in 1781, King Ferdinand was so enthusiastic that he decided to throw a grand open-air party and for the occasion the paths running through the Park were illuminated all the way from the Palace to the fountain.
As soon as it was built, the long basin, with its 32.000 cubic metres of water, served a twin purpose: in fact, other than being ornamental, it also kept the royal kitchens well supplied with fish.

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