Fountain of Ceres

The Fountain, located in the gardens of the royal palace of Caserta, depicts Ceres goddess of fertility of the fields, surrounded by nymphs, cupids, pairs of tritons and two dolphins playing the buccina. The goddess supports the medallion of Trinacria and the sides are represented, in the form of male deities, the two Sicilian rivers Anapo (ancient Alfeo) and Arethusa, the nymph of Diana turned into a source to escape the love of Alfeo, which in turn turned into a river to reach the beloved. Originally Ceres had her head adorned with ears of corn, while the Nereids held bronze ears of corn, which were removed during the French occupation. The splendid sculptural composition, with its harmonious pyramidal shape, is the work of Gaetano Salomone and was realized in Carrara marble and travertine stone between 1783 and 1785.