Bernini was born in
Sesto Fiorentino,
Tuscany. He moved to
Naples to work on the
Certosa di San Martino there, and Gian Lorenzo was born in Naples in 1598. In 1605 the family moved to
Rome under the protection of Cardinal
Scipione Borghese. In Rome, he worked on various projects for
Pope Paul V, another Borghese, including the Pauline Chapel in the Basilica of
Santa Maria Maggiore. One of Pietro Bernini's best-known contributions to the city of Rome is the
Fontana della Barcaccia (
Fountain of the Old Boat) which resembles a beached ship and is located at the foot of the
Spanish Steps. It was commissioned by
Pope Urban VIII and built in 1627. He also contributed to the
Fountain of Neptune, Naples, completed between 1600 and 1601. Initially collaborating with his son (for example on
Boy with a Dragon in 1617) but later overshadowed by his talent, the elder Bernini ended his career as an independent sculptor around 1617, evidently happy to act as his son's assistant. He died in Rome, aged 67. == Gallery ==