rre effect, and makes the ascent
very easy. The edges of the fountain have the shape of a vase, and the
body of the fountain--that is, the inner part where the water
is--curves in the form of a circle. The shaft begins with eight sides,
and continues with eight seats almost up to the base of the tazza,
upon which are seated eight children of the size of life, all in the
round and in various attitudes, who, linked together with the legs and
arms, make a rich adornment and a most beautiful effect. And since the
tazza, which is round, projects to the extent of six braccia, the
water of the whole fountain, pouring equally over the edge on every
side, sends a very beautiful rain, like the drippings from a roof,
into the octagonal basin mentioned above, and those children that are
on the shaft of the tazza are not wetted, and they appear to be there
in order not to be wetted by the rain, almost like real children, full
of delight and playing as they shelter under the lip of the tazza,
which could not be equalled in its simplicity and beauty. Opposite to
the four paths that intersect the garden are four children of bronze
lying at play in various attitudes, which are after the designs of
Tribolo, although they were executed afterwards by others. Above this
tazza begins another shaft, which has at the foot, on some
projections, four children of marble in the round, who are pressing
the necks of some geese that spout water from their mouths; and this
water is that of the principal conduit coming from the labyrinth, and
rises exactly to this height. Above these children is the rest of the
shaft of this pedestal, which is made with certain cartouches which
spurt forth water in a most bizarre manner; and then, regaining a
quadrangular form, it rises over some masks that are very well made.
Above this, then, is a smaller tazza, on the lip of which, on all four
sides, are fixed by the horns four heads of Capricorns, making a
square, which spout water through their mouths into the large tazza,
together with the children, in order to make the rain which falls, as
has been told, into the first basin, which has eight sides. Still
higher there follows another shaft, adorned with other ornaments and
with some children in half-relief, who, projecting outwards, form at
the top a round space that serves as base to the figure of a Hercules
who is crushing Antaeus, which was designed by Tribolo and executed
afterwards by others, as will be relat