Gian Lorenzo Bernini created the stunning and extravagant Four Rivers fountain, located in Rome. This fountain features a pyramid like shape, where four gods, seated on rocks, represent rivers of the four corners of the globe. The fountain is in a beautiful setting behind the Pitti Palace which is located in Florence. It decorates the amphitheater used for public festivals on one end and can also be seen at a distance above the Boboli Gardens. The detail and sheer beauty of this fountain make it a stunning centerpiece for the square of the Piazza Navona which was designed by Vasari and features a dolphin held by an angel looking like cupid. What is interesting to note is this statue was not meant to be placed on the fountain, but when renovations took place for the marriage of Joanna of Austia and Francesco dei Medici, the ornament was removed from the garden of Lorenzo the Magnificent and placed atop the fountain.
Another grand fountain is the Fountain of Montorsoli at Messina, thought to have been created between 1547 and 1551, features an overly decorative nature and is full of symbolic figures. This wonderful feature makes an effective focal point for the area. Designed by Tommaso Lauretti, the Fountain of Neptune at Bologna has been made famous by the statue of Neptune which tops it. The statue itself was created by Giovanni da Bologna while working under concepts designed by Michelangelo and is known Bologna's masterpiece.