The mighty sea god, with a virile torso and scaly tail, tames a rearing sea horse while two monsters emerge from the circular basin, sealing in bronze the eternal conflict between man, nature, and the sea—towards which the city looks despite its inland position. The group was modeled in 1890 by the sculptor from Caltanissetta Michele Tripisciano, and was first displayed in the entrance hall of Palazzo del Carmine. In 1955 the original plaster cast was melted in Rome, and architect Gaetano Averna designed the fountain that, on December 15, 1956, replaced an elegant 19th-century lamppost at the center of the square, creating today’s perspective axis between the Cathedral of Santa Maria La Nova and the Town Hall.
Four meters tall and set on a stone-clad pedestal, the work weighs over 2,500 kilograms. Radial water jets and misty sprays highlight its burnished surfaces, and since 2009 a modern LED system has illuminated it at night with turquoise and lapis-lazuli shades, amplifying the visual dialogue with the honey-colored façade of the Cathedral—restored during the same redevelopment project, which also pedestrianized the square with lava stone paving.