Bell Fountains

The Bell Fountains in the Lower Park of Peterhof were created in 1721–1723 based on the designs of Nicola Michetti, simultaneously with the central "Sheaf" fountain. In 1817, their lead statues were replaced with bronze ones, cast according to the models of I. P. Martos, while the originals for the copies were works by Jacopo Sansovino, Antonio Canova, and an ancient original from the 4th century BC. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the statues were evacuated to Leningrad, while the basins and pedestals were destroyed. The idea for the fountains belonged to Peter I, who demanded that the water flow smoothly from under the statues' feet like glass.