Francesco Camilliani
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francesco Camilliani (d 1586) was a Tuscan sculptor of the Renaissance period. He studied under in Florence under Baccio Bandinelli. His son Camillo Camilliani was later too a sculptor in Palermo.
One of Francesco Camilliani most notable works is the renaissance water fountain in the Piazza Pretoria in Palermo. This piece was originally built for the garden of the Florentine villa of Pietro di Toledo between 1554 and 1555; but was bought by the Governors of Palermo and set up there. The sculpture of the fountain depicts fables, monsters, and nymphs all spraying jets of water, which also falls and cascades between them. Once known as the "fountain of shame” because of the nude statues that stand around the base of each tier, it is one of the only true pieces of high renaissance art in Palermo.