One of the Quirkiest Fountains in Florence

Walking Tours of Florence

Fontana dei Puttini

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One of the quirkiest fountains in Florence can be found in Piazza Vasari, which lies a short walk north of the 'English' Cemetery. The Fontana dei Puttini (Fountain of the Little Putti,1952) is made up of a column of four small children and a tortoise and is the work of Mario Moschi (1896-1971).
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There is no arcane symbolism in the design; Moschi was simply inspired by the sight of his energetic little granddaughter, crawling around the house on all-fours in pursuit of the family tortoise. She was, he thought, as lively as four little children put together ('fare per quattro').