Why, you ask, is one of Bolzano’s best-known statues a fishy homage to Neptune, lord of the sea, when the Alpine city is as far from any connection to his domain as you might imagine? Something fishy, indeed.
And birdy, as well. Since the statue is located in the city’s market and sometimes almost obscured by the stalls, any number of hungry pigeons treat it as a rest stop and bird feeder. Even the one behind his shoulder above is real, and not part of the art.
Local residents long ago engaged in a bit of mockery over the statue’s subject and location, dubbing him the ‘Gabelwirt,’ the ‘Innkeeper with a Fork,’ presumably shopping for fresh produce.
The statue was installed in 1745, complete with trident, bronze shells and fish. The pigeons added themselves later. The sculptor was G Mayr di Fiè, and the work is listed (somewhere) as among the hundred most beautiful fountains in Italy.
As to why Neptune in Bolzano? Well, why not. Before it was erected, the spot was used for a public pillory for minor offenders; this may be an upgrade!
