Fountain of Neptune, Bologna

Giambologna's bronze Neptune, raised in the 1560s next to Piazza Maggiore, gestures across the square as if calming the waves, while cherubs and water-spouting sirens crowd the pedestal below. Bolognese simply call him "the Giant." The fountain's running joke is an angle: stand on a darker paving slab behind the statue and Neptune's outstretched thumb appears to line up with his groin, a view that keeps a small crowd shuffling into position all day.