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The Rockefeller Fountain in the Bronx

January 22, 2022 Public Mermaid Sculptures
The Rockefeller Fountain in the Bronx
By Mermaids of Earth January 22, 2022 Public Mermaid Sculptures

The “Rockefeller Fountain” is also known as the “Italian Fountain” and as the “Rainey Gate Fountain”, and includes a number of mermaids, mermen and sea-horses.

But regardless of the name, it is now located in the Bronx Zoo in New York City, just inside the Zoo entrance at Rainey Gate.

The fountain was carved from limestone and granite by sculptor Biagio Catella in Como (Italy) in 1872. It was initially installed in Piazza Cavour in Como.

William Rockefeller bought the fountain in 1902, brought it to New York, and donated it to the Bronx Zoo, where it was installed in 1910.  It was fully restored in 2008. 

The Rainey Gate Fountain
The Rainey Gate Fountain. Photo © by Brian Benton.

You’ll find many more photos and additional information on this page dedicated to this sculpture.