The fountain known as "Fonte Luminosa" in Lisbon was inaugurated in 1943, and is an icon of the city. There are four mermaid statues in the fountain, and each mermaid holds a fish spraying water from its mouth. map
The fountain is beautifully lit at night, providing a stunning display of flowing water, stone and art.
It was inaugurated on May 28, 1948, and was built by architects Carlos and Guilherme Rebelo de Andrade.
The five main fountain figures were sculpted by Diogo de Macedo, and the caryatids (columns in the shape of standing women) in the background were sculpted by Maximiano Alves.
The fountain is dormant at times, and at other times has massive amounts of water flowing, with lighting that makes the entire fountain literally glow at night.
The rider on the horse represents the Tagus, Portugal’s largest river, and the four nymphs (mermaids) are the Tides (Tágides) who inhabit the river, from the poem The Lusiads by Luís Vaz de Camões. The Lusiads describe the voyages of Vasco da Gama (Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea) and is often regarded as the most important work of Portuguese literature.
References:
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Os_Lusiadas
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_de_Camoes
● The Mermaids of Earth coffee-table book: See page 90 in the book about this sculpture.
