Neptunbrunnen

The Neptunbrunnen stands in the Schönbrunner Schlosspark in Vienna, built between 1778 and 1780 under Empress Maria Theresia. It measures about one hundred metres in length and nearly fifty metres in width, rising over seven metres high without its figures. The basin and surrounding structures were designed by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg, while the white Sterzing marble sculptures were carved by court sculptor Johann Christian Wilhelm Beyer. The fountain’s history includes delays caused by water supply problems in 1777, forcing redesigns and even backfilling dug basins. The central sculpture shows Neptune on a shell-drawn chariot, flanked by Thetis, who pleads for a storm to stop Paris’s abduction of Helen. Four Triton figures guide Hippocampus horses, while smaller Naiad groups were later relocated due to size disputes among sculptors. Visitors find the fountain along the main axis between the palace and Gloriette, framed by the Great Parterre. A curved retaining wall supports the scene, with Neptune’s grotto behind and a hidden brick vault beneath. Water flows by gravity from a distant pond, now enabling continuous operation after past shortages. The surrounding parkland and distant Gloriette complete the view.