Fountains "Bells"

VWP9+QG Petrodvortsovy District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

In the center of each of the four parterres into which the Monplaisir Garden is divided, Peter planned to install the "Bells" fountains, adorned with gilded sculptures. These water jets were created between 1721 and 1723 according to Miketti's drawings, simultaneously with the central "Sheaf" fountain. The weathered lead statues were replaced with bronze ones in 1817. Wax models for them were made by I. Martos based on molds kept in the Museum of the Academy of Arts.

Imperial Parks of Peterhof

In the center of each of the four parterres into which the Monplaisir Garden is divided, Peter intended to install the "Bells" fountains, adorned with gilded sculptures. These water jets were created between 1721 and 1723 according to Miketti's drawings, simultaneously with the central fountain "Sheaf." The weathered lead statues were replaced with bronze ones in 1817. Wax models for them were made by Martos from casts kept in the Museum of the Academy of Arts.

The fountain in the northwest parterre of the Monplaisir Garden is decorated with a sculpture of the young god Apollo, called "Apollino," which is a copy of an antique original from the 4th century BC. To the east lies a parterre whose center features a statue of Psyche—a copy of the original created by the Italian sculptor of the Classicism era, Antonio Canova (1757–1822). The sculpture "Faun with a Kid" is a copy of an antique original from the 1st century BC and adorns the southeast parterre of the garden. Opposite, in the southwest parterre, stands "Bacchus"—a copy of a work by Jacopo Sansovino (1486–1570), an Italian sculptor and architect of the High and Late Renaissance. The fountains differ not only in sculpture but also in their bases: two pedestals are shaped like vases with relief acanthus leaves, while the other two resemble columns with fluting—vertical grooves or channels on the column shaft. The pedestals were designed by Miketti.

Water rises through pipes hidden inside the pedestals. Discs with rounded edges are fixed under the sculptures on the pedestals. As water slides off them, it forms transparent water bells, which is why the fountains were named in the French manner "Cloches"—"Bells."

The statues saved during the Great Patriotic War have survived to this day. Their pedestals, stolen by German troops, were recreated in the postwar period.

Sources:

https://peterhofmuseum.ru/objects/peterhof/fontani_kolokola

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Chinese kindergarten

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Fountain "Sun"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The "Sun" fountain is a complex hydraulic structure and one of the two mechanical fountains of Peterhof. It has an original shape that is not repeated anywhere else.

Fountain "Triton" or Orangery Fountain

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The fountain in the form of an allegory tells the story of Russia's struggle to gain access to the Baltic Sea — about the first major victory of the Russian fleet over the Swedish fleet in the Battle of Gangut on July 27, 1714. The Triton symbolizes the young Russian fleet, while the sea monster represents the fleet of Charles XII. Four turtles, scattering in fear in different directions, remind us of the unfaithful allies of the Swedish king.

Fountain Gags "Little Sofas"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The "Divanchiki" joke fountains are the oldest of the joke fountains that have survived to our time. The fountains look like typical 18th-century garden benches with lattice seats, painted white. The backs of the benches are decorated with masks of tritons and a tuff rock formation. They are located in the eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof, near the Monplaisir Palace.

Fountain joke "Dubok"

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The prank fountain "Dubok" is one of the prank fountains of the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble. It is located in the Lower Park near the Montplaisir Alley. The prank fountain was created in 1735, and its surface was originally covered with gold paint. The branched six-meter hollow tree trunk made of tin tubes was externally covered with lead, which imitated bark.

Fountain joke "Christmas Trees"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The "Little Fir Trees" joke is a group of three small metal trees that spray water, located in one of the clumps near the Orangery. The original fountain was created in 1784 by craftsmen Keyzer and Strelnikov. The Little Fir Trees are situated in a clearing south of the Oak Grove and consist of three metal trees, which are very difficult to distinguish from real fir trees. When the elegantly dressed guests passed by, suddenly the water jets would douse the ladies and gentlemen.

Fountain joke "Umbrella" or "Mushroom"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The prank fountain "Umbrella" is one of several prank fountains in the palace and park ensemble of Peterhof, located in the Lower Park near the Montplaisir Alley. It was created in 1796 by architect Brouwer and fountain master Keyser. It is believed that the court's fascination with China influenced its creation, which was also reflected in the construction of "Chinese" buildings in Tsarskoye Selo.

Miniature fountains "Tritons" or "Bells"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The miniature "Tritons" fountains appeared on the shore of the Marlinsky Pond at the end of the 1720s. The sculptures of four identical boy-tritons holding flat bowls were cast in England in 1721 based on a drawing by the architect I. Braunstein. Originally, the "Tritons" were intended to decorate the Grand Cascade, but they were cleverly adapted for the construction of fountains, whose compositional design is simple and elegant. Four water jets spouted from the bowls above the heads of the "Tritons."

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

In the 18th century, among wealthy Europeans, a fashion spread for building special pavilions called "Hermitage" or "place of seclusion." These were two-story buildings; on the lower floor were cooks and servants who prepared and served food, which was delivered by lifts to the upper floor, where the close circle of the estate owner's guests gathered. In Russia, the first Hermitage was created in Peterhof by order of Peter I. It was built on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in the western part of the Lower Park. The very idea of its construction arose in Peter during his travels through European countries, where he first saw similar structures. The Peterhof seaside pavilion served as the prototype for all Russian "hermitages" built thereafter.

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The Garden of Bacchus in Peterhof was designed by Nicolo Michetti in the 1720s as part of the ensemble of the Marly Palace in the western part of the Lower Park. Three paths connect it to the Garden of Venus, located between the Gulf of Finland and the Marlin Pond.

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

A few days later, Peter wrote to Catherine: "I inform you that last Monday the local little king paid me a visit... a child quite remarkable in appearance and stature, and for his age fairly sensible, who is seven years old..."

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Lion Cascade (Hermitage)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

Great Architects: Andrey Ivanovich Stakenschneider

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The idea behind the design of the Lower Park was based on the principle: each palace should correspond to a cascade of fountains. In 1721, the construction of the "Hermitage" pavilion began, and an alley leading to it was laid out. The cascade project, referred to as the "Moses Cascade" in Peter's sketches, was prepared by the architect Nicolo Michetti, but the original plan was not realized. Initially, statues of Hercules and Flora were used as sculptural decoration, but a year later they were replaced by bronze figures of lions, made based on Prokofiev's models. The cascade, named the Hermitage Cascade by its location, received its second, more famous name "Lion's" – after its decoration.

The Grand Cascade is the most magnificent fountain structure of the Peterhof ensemble.

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Benois Family Museum

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Grand Palace (Peterhof)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

The Upper and Lower Grottos, serving as the architectural center of the Grand Cascade of Peterhof, were built according to the design of Peter I. They are faced with tuff, decorated with fountains, marble, and gilded sculptures. The facade of the Grand Grotto is pierced by five tall arches adorned with gilded mascarons. Above this grotto is a terrace leading to the Small Grotto. The boundary between the grottos is marked by a marble balustrade with figures of two gilded bronze Tritons. Architects Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, Ivan Braunstein, and Nicola Michetti participated in the creation of the grottos, with construction taking place from 1716 to 1720. Entrance is through the arched doors of the Upper Grotto. According to Peter the Great’s plan, the walls of the underground structure are faced with tuff and shells, decorated with mascarons and ornaments.

Paired Fountains "Bowls" (Italian)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

At the foot of the Grand Palace, in the center of the parterre flower beds, are the paired "Bowls" fountains, whose construction, according to the project of architect Nicolo Michetti, was completed at the end of 1722. The trial launch took place in the presence of Peter I. The oldest fountains of Peterhof, known for the power of their jets, received a second name – the "Great Fountains." Since the hydraulic work on the eastern fountain was carried out by the Frenchman Paul Soualem, and the western one by the Italians Giovanni and Giuliano Barratini, the western fountain is called the "Italian" fountain.

Paired Fountains "Bowls" (French)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof

At the foot of the Grand Palace, in the center of the parterre flower beds, are the paired "Bowls" fountains, whose construction according to the project of architect Nicolo Michetti was completed at the end of 1722. The trial launch took place in the presence of Peter I. The oldest fountains of Peterhof, known for the power of their jets, received the second name – the "Great Fountains." Since the hydraulic work on the eastern fountain was carried out by the Frenchman Paul Soualem, and the western one by the Italians Giovanni and Giuliano Barratini, the eastern fountain is called the "French" fountain.