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''Babuino'' ( Romanesco: ''Il Babbuino''; it, Il Babuino, ''The Baboon'') is one of the
The statue is an ancient depiction of a reclining Silenus: a character in Roman mythology, half man, half goat. In 1581, Patrizio Grandi, a rich merchant, built a public fountain in the former via Paolina, which he had decorated with this statue. According to the custom established by About Rome: Fountains of Rome
/ref> The people of Rome christened the figure "babuino" because they considered it ugly and deformed, like a baboon, and the street was nicknamed the "via del Babuino" as a result, the name eventually becoming the official one. After being moved to various other locations in Rome, the statue was returned to the street in 1957.
Roma Segreta: via del ''Babuino''
''The Insider's Guide to Rome'', p.73
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babuino 1581 sculptures 1581 establishments in Italy Fountains in Rome Talking statues of Rome Rome R. IV Campo Marzio
talking statues
Talking may refer to:
* Speech, the product of the action of ''to talk''
* Communication by spoken words; conversation or discussion
Other uses
* "Talking" (The Rifles song), 2007
* "Talking" (A Flock of Seagulls song), 1983
* "Talking", a son ...
of Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The fountain is situated in front of the Canova Tadolini Museum, in via del Babuino
Via del Babuino is a street in the historic centre of Rome (Italy), located in the rione Campo Marzio. It connects Piazza del Popolo to Piazza di Spagna and is part of the complex of streets known as Tridente.
History
The origins of Via del Bab ...
.
History
The statue is an ancient depiction of a reclining Silenus: a character in Roman mythology, half man, half goat. In 1581, Patrizio Grandi, a rich merchant, built a public fountain in the former via Paolina, which he had decorated with this statue. According to the custom established by Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV ( it, Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered ...
, he obtained free water for his house and fields in exchange for donating the fountain to the city./ref> The people of Rome christened the figure "babuino" because they considered it ugly and deformed, like a baboon, and the street was nicknamed the "via del Babuino" as a result, the name eventually becoming the official one. After being moved to various other locations in Rome, the statue was returned to the street in 1957.
Political comment and graffiti
Pasquinades – irreverent satirical inscriptions poking fun at public figures – were posted beside the "talking statues" of Rome in the 16th century. The pasquinades (or, in Italian, pasquinate) of ''Il Babuino'' are more properly called ''babuinate'', but the principle of satirical criticism is the same. The tradition of political comment continued asgraffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
in modern times, to the extent that the fountain was considered an eyesore rather than an asset to this upmarket street. The wall behind the statue was covered in graffiti, although not on ''Babuino'' itself. Recently, the wall has been painted with an anti-vandal paint, to prevent the graffiti reappearing.
See also
*Scior Carera
Scior Carera (; ) and Omm de preja (; "stone man") are traditional, popular names used to refer to an ancient Roman sculpture located in Milan, Italy, at No. 13 of Corso Vittorio Emanuele (next to the Duomo).Scior Carera' Before being located whe ...
in Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
Sources
* Rendina, C., "Pasquino statua parlante”, ''ROMA ieri, oggi, domani'', n. 20, February 1990.References
External links
Roma Segreta: via del ''Babuino''
''The Insider's Guide to Rome'', p.73
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babuino 1581 sculptures 1581 establishments in Italy Fountains in Rome Talking statues of Rome Rome R. IV Campo Marzio