The Politics of Water in the Art and Festivals of Medici Florence: From Neptune Fountain to Naumachia

2017 | Art, Photography & Fashion

The first book to tell the dynamic story of one dynasty's struggle with water, to control its flow and manage its representation, this interdisciplinary study pivots on two well-known water-related Medici creations, Bartolomeo Ammannati's Neptune Fountain (1560-1574) in the Piazza della Signoria, the first public fountain in Florence since antiquity, and the Naumachia, or naval battle, staged by Ferdinando I in the courtyard of the Palazzo Pitti for his wedding to Christine of Lorraine in 1589. Water was tied to politics, whether in the form of water management policies or in the alliances with the Hapsburgs and Papacy against a Turkish threat. Felicia Else analyzes how the Medici progressed from its first water-related initiatives under Cosimo I to its full realization under Ferdinando I, drawing on a wealth of visual and documentary material. She brings new insights to the vital role festival decorations played in the development of water-related images and engineering feats in the Florentine repertoire, while tying in lesser-known celebrations and the influences of festivals and courts outside of Florence.

On a broader level, the book engages with issues that are relevant beyond Medici Florence of the sixteenth century-the nature of festivals and political power; the necessities of geographic knowledge and engineering in an expanding world and the tenuous relationship of water and civilization.

Felicia M. Else (Author)