There is a tabernacle at the end of the street where the Florence Central Markets are…the Tabernacle of Fonticine…named for the little fountain at the bottom.
Tabernacles are niches with sculptures, often with frescoes or columns and a small roof. They are found on street corners, or on the side of a square, or even in tiny, narrow streets. They are usually covered by glass. Florentines felt the need to put up holy images to protect their houses and their families. There are about 1,200 in Florence.
I can’t show you the rest of the tabernacle as it was covered in scaffolding, but it think the fountain is lovely. It is attributed to Girolamo della Robbia and constructed somewhere around 1522, which explains why it could do with a bit of Jif and a scrubbing brush.
It is good to see it still in use after all these years.
I hope to see the whole tabarnacle on a future trip to Florence. I am inspired to track down the rest, perhaps not all 1,200, but quite a few.