To the left of the Palazzo Vecchio is the picturesque Neptune Fountain, richly decorated by the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati and his assistants (1563-1575). At the centre of the fountain is a huge white marble figure of the sea god, mounted on a chariot pulled by a four-horse chariot. a chariot drawn by four sea horses. The Florentines called this enormous white statue "Biancone" (White Giant), and the name has been retained. Of special interest are also the beautiful bronze sculptures at the base of the of the fountain.
Next to the fountain stands an equestrian statue of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Tuscany, made by the sculptor Giambologna in 1594. This monument strikes the viewer with the nobility of the features and posture of the rider and the powerful forms of the horse. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal represent the main events in the life of the great Duke of Tuscany. of Tuscany. The Medici family ruled the city for a long time and supported the common people in their struggle against the guilds. the common people in their struggle against the guilds.
In Piazza della Signoria is the Loggia Lanzi, named in memory of the Landsknechts, the hired soldiers who guarded Cosimo I. The Loggia Lanzi was built by the architects Benchi di Cione and Simone Talenti (1376-1382) and was intended for the solemn meetings of the Signo for the solemn meetings of the Signoria. The light, graceful structure is typical of the late Gothic period. Above the pylons are medallions with reliefs of the Virtues, executed between 1384 and 1389 to designs by Agnolo Gaddi. The central aperture of the loggia flanked by the figures of two lions.
Inside the loggia are many valuable sculptures. On the left is the famous "Perseus" with the severed head of Medusa the Gorgon.(1553), and on the right is the "Abduction of the of the Sabine Women by Giambologna (1583). In the centre is "Hercules and the Centaur", also by Giambologna (1559), "Ajax with the Body of Patroclus," an ancient Greek sculpture; "The Abduction of Polyxena," by the sculptor Pio Fedi (1866). At the back wall of the loggia are six antique female statues.
