PICTURES FROM ITALY (Est. 2001)
  • Private Tours
    • Private Tours of Rome
    • Private Tours of Florence
    • Private Tours of Venice
  • Contact
  • Rome
  • Vatican
  • Florence
  • Venice
  • Tuscany
  • Gallery
  • Year in Art
Walking Tours of Rome

The Six ‘Talking’ Statues of Rome

10/4/2019

 
Walking Tours of Rome
Statue of Pasquino, Rome
Pasquino

Dotted about the centre of Rome are many ancient statues, but only six have the reputation of being able to 'talk'!

The most famous statua parlante (talking statue) stands in a small piazza, a stone's throw from Piazza Navona. Known as Pasquino, the statue may have been named after a sharp-tongued tailor, who lived nearby. Sig. Pasquino is thought to have started the practise of attaching to the statue anonymous comments critical of the papacy and the powers that be. The practise quickly caught on and eventually gave rise to the English word pasquinade (a lampoon or satire, especially one posted in a public place). 

The statue of Pasquino, which is thought to date back to the 3rd century BCE, actually depicts Menelaus, the King of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy, holding the body of Patroclus. It was unearthed in Via Leutari and placed in the piazza in 1501 by Cardinal Oliviero Carafa. The statue may once have decorated the ancient Stadium of Domitian (c. 80-86), which once stood on the site of Piazza Navona. 

Rome soon had as many as six 'talking' statues: Pasquino (Piazza di Pasquino), Madame Lucrezia (Piazza San Marco), L'Abate Luigi (Piazza Vidoni), Il Facchino (via Lata), Marforio (Musei Capitolini) and Il Babuino (Via del Babuino).

Fountain of the Porter (Fontanella del Facchino), Via Lata, Rome
Il Facchino
Madame Lucrezia, Rome
Madame Lucrezia
Marforio, Palazzo Nuovo, Rome
Marforio
Il Babuino (Talking Statue), Via del Babuino, Rome
Il Babuino
Abate Luigi (Talking Statue), Piazza Vidoni, Rome
L' Abate Luigi

Comments are closed.
    My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England.

    Since 2001 I have been living in Italy, where I run
    ​ walking tours of Florence, Rome &
    Venice.

    Search Pictures From Italy:

    Blog Posts

    November 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019


Follow Pictures From Italy on Facebook

Private Tours of Rome, Florence & Venice

Copyright © David Lown 2001-2019. All Rights Reserved. 
  • Private Tours
    • Private Tours of Rome
    • Private Tours of Florence
    • Private Tours of Venice
  • Contact
  • Rome
  • Vatican
  • Florence
  • Venice
  • Tuscany
  • Gallery
  • Year in Art