Andy's Virtual Rome - Rome's Talking Statues

"Pasquino" in an old engraving...	Since 1501, "Pasquino" stands in a small square just behind piazza Navona; also the square is now named after the personage. This statue is a torso of a male figure, probably dating from the 3rd century BC; it is so badly preserved that it has been impossible to tell whom it represents, probably a king or a hero of ancient Greece. Also the origin of the nickname remains a mystery; it is commonly said that the statue was once discovered near an old barber parlour (or according to others, a tavern), whose owner was called Pasquino. This tradition lasted until the 19th century, and the jokes left near the statue or hung to its neck were known as pasquinate.	...and nowadays, still carrying satirical posters (by courtesy of Gene Fiscalini)

During the 16th century it was moved here from its original site, by the Mamertinus Prison (currently in the Roman Forum area). "Marforio" was considered Pasquino's partner, as in some of the satires the two statues spoke to each other, one asking questions about social problems, politics, etc., and the other one answering ironically.	Marforio, by the Capitolium Museum

the "Facchino" fountain	The statue once used to stand on the façade of the Palazzo De Carolis (a building known today as the Palazzo del Banco di Roma), in via del Corso, not far from piazza Venezia. In 1874 it was moved to via Lata, just round the corner. It dates back to the second half of the 16th century, and according to a popular tradition it was inspired by a water-carrier (a man whose work was to draw water from public fountains and sell it, door to door, for a moderate price). Nobody knows exactly who the sculptor who made this fountain was; being a fine work, despite its present condition, Michelangelo himself had (wrongly) been reputed the author.

Another statue is known as "Madama Lucrezia" (Madam Lucretia), and stands in a corner of Palazzetto Venezia, in piazza San Marco, a small square adjoining piazza Venezia. This huge marble bust, about 3 metres (10 feet) high, comes from a temple dedicated to Isis and represents a female figure, probably a priestess or maybe even Isis herself. The nickname comes from a well-known lady named Lucretia, who lived in the 15th century. Having fallen in love with the king of Naples, who was already married, she came to Rome and pleaded with the pope to let the king divorce, but no permission was given. One year later the king died; because of his successor's hostility towards her, the lady moved to Rome, where she lived near the above-mentioned square.	"Madama Lucrezia"

The so called "talking statues" are the means by which Rome has always opposed arrogance and corruption of the ruling class with great sense of humor.
Since the early 16th century, late at night, satirical posters were hung to a number of statues which stood in well-known sites, so that in the morning everyone could read them before they were taken away by the police.
The posters sometimes had a poem, sometimes a joke; in most cases their satire was addressed to the pope. And the authors, of course, always remained unknown.
The people gave nicknames to these statues, the most famous of which was "Pasquino"; nowadays they seem to have lost their speech, but nevertheless they are still in place.

"Pasquino" in an old engraving...
Since 1501, "Pasquino" stands in a small square just behind piazza Navona; also the square is now named after the personage.

This statue is a torso of a male figure, probably dating from the 3rd century BC; it is so badly preserved that it has been impossible to tell whom it represents, probably a king or a hero of ancient Greece.
Also the origin of the nickname remains a mystery; it is commonly said that the statue was once discovered near an old barber parlour (or according to others, a tavern), whose owner was called Pasquino.
This tradition lasted until the 19th century, and the jokes left near the statue or hung to its neck were known as pasquinate.

...and nowadays, still
carrying satirical posters
(by courtesy of Gene Fiscalini)

One of the most famous ones was against pope Urban VIII (a member of the Barberini family), who had Bernini remove the bronze parts from the Pantheon for the making of the huge canopy over the main altar in St.Peter's (1633): quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini ("what barbarians did not do, the Barberini did") was Pasquino's remark.

Another popular statue is "Marforio", a long, bearded reclining figure, probably the allegory of a river (the Tiber?) or maybe Neptune, the god of seas; it stands in the courtyard facing the Capitolium Museum.

During the 16th century it was moved here from its original site, by the Mamertinus Prison (currently in the Roman Forum area).
"Marforio" was considered Pasquino's partner, as in some of the satires the two statues spoke to each other, one asking questions about social problems, politics, etc., and the other one answering ironically.

Marforio, by the Capitolium Museum

Among the minor "talking statues" of Rome are the "Facchino", "Madama Lucrezia", the "Abate Luigi" and the "Babuino".

The "Facchino" (the porter) is a small fountain representing a male figure, whose face is very badly preserved, pouring water from a cask; the robe worn by the statue is the typical costume of the porters guild, whence the figure's name.

the "Facchino" fountain
The statue once used to stand on the façade of the Palazzo De Carolis (a building known today as the Palazzo del Banco di Roma), in via del Corso, not far from piazza Venezia. In 1874 it was moved to via Lata, just round the corner.
It dates back to the second half of the 16th century, and according to a popular tradition it was inspired by a water-carrier (a man whose work was to draw water from public fountains and sell it, door to door, for a moderate price).
Nobody knows exactly who the sculptor who made this fountain was; being a fine work, despite its present condition, Michelangelo himself had (wrongly) been reputed the author.

Another statue is known as "Madama Lucrezia" (Madam Lucretia), and stands in a corner of Palazzetto Venezia, in piazza San Marco, a small square adjoining piazza Venezia. This huge marble bust, about 3 metres (10 feet) high, comes from a temple dedicated to Isis and represents a female figure, probably a priestess or maybe even Isis herself.
The nickname comes from a well-known lady named Lucretia, who lived in the 15th century. Having fallen in love with the king of Naples, who was already married, she came to Rome and pleaded with the pope to let the king divorce, but no permission was given. One year later the king died; because of his successor's hostility towards her, the lady moved to Rome, where she lived near the above-mentioned square.

"Madama Lucrezia"

FUI DELL'ANTICA ROMA UN CITTADINO
ORA ABATE LUIGI OGNUN MI CHIAMA
CONQUISTAI CON MARFORIO E CON PASQUINO
NELLE SATIRE URBANE ETERNA FAMA
EBBI OFFESE, DISGRAZIE E SEPOLTURA
MA QUI VITA NOVELLA E ALFIN SICURA I WAS A CITIZEN OF ANCIENT ROME
NOW EVERYBODY CALLS ME ABBOT LOUIS
WITH MARFORIO AND PASQUINO I CONQUERED
ETERNAL FAME IN URBAN SATIRE
I RECEIVED OFFENCES, MISTREATMENT AND BURIAL
BUT NEW LIFE HERE, AND SAFE, AT LAST

the "Abbot Louis" statue

This short epitaph can be read on the base of the statue of "Abate Luigi" (Abbot Louis), in piazza Vidoni, not far from piazza Navona, on the left side of S.Andrea della Valle church. It features a standing character in a late roman costume; the nickname was probably inspired by the sacristan of the nearby Sudario church, who - according to a popular tradition - resembled very much the statue.
Piazza Vidoni was the original site of the "Abbot", but through the years it changed location several times, kept in little consideration, until in 1924 it was brought back in the same square.

The "Babuino", archaic Italian for babbuino = "baboon", is a statue of a reclining silenus (a Greek mythology woodland deity, similar to a satyr), now standing by the church of St.Athanasius of the Greeks, in the central via del Babuino. It was placed there as a decorative element for a very simple fountain.
The grinning figure was given this name because of its look, now even more grotesque because rather worn out by time.

the Babuino; the wall at the back is constantly covered
with writings, as a consequence of being a "talking statue"