The Encounter of Teano (''L'Incontro di Teano'') is a bronze monumental equestrian statuary group depicting the encounter of King
Vittorio Emanuele II
Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di House of Savoy, Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was Kingdom of Sardinia, King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 Marc ...
and
Garibaldi
Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, patr ...
, both on horseback, at a bridge in
Teano
Teano ( Teanese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, northwest of Caserta on the main line to Rome from Naples. It stands at the southeast foot of an extinct volcano, Rocca Monfina. Its St. Clement's ...
on October 26, 1860. The monument is present in the piazza Mino da Fiesole, in front of the Palazzo Pretorio in
Fiesole
Fiesole () is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km (3 miles) northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.
Sin ...
, region of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, Italy.
The statue was designed by
Oreste Calzolari and inaugurated in 1906. Originally the work had an accompanying stone obelisk which was destroyed during a bombing raid during World War II.
At the meeting at the bridge, after the successful
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand ( it, Spedizione dei Mille) was an event of the Italian Risorgimento that took place in 1860. A corps of volunteers led by Giuseppe Garibaldi sailed from Quarto, near Genoa (now Quarto dei Mille) and landed in Ma ...
, defeating the forces of the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...
, Garibaldi hailed Vittorio Emanuele II as king of an Italy stretching from the Alps to Sicily. One source says that the sculptor intended the statues for a monument in Teano, but the town could not raise the 3625 lire that it cost to make the statues. Instead a number of wealthy patrons and other donors in Fiesole were able to purchase the statues.
The Florentine
web article titled ''The statue of the Battle of Mentana'' (also by Calzolari) written by Deirdre Pirro (issue no. 172/2012 / November 8, 2012). Not unexpectedly, the men face in opposite directions while they shake hands, with the King's horse slightly more nervously a pace. Garibaldi's steed has a regal passivity.
See the painting by Carlo Ademollo
Carlo Ademollo (9 October 1824 – 15 July 1911) was an Italian painter, best known for his scenes from the Risorgimento.
Biography
He was born in Florence. He was the grandson of the Milanese painter, Luigi Ademollo. In 1838, he enrolled at t ...
depicting ''The Handshake of Teano''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Encounter of Teano, Fiesole
Teano Monument
Monuments and memorials in Tuscany
Bronze sculptures in Italy
Outdoor sculptures in Italy
1906 sculptures
Statues of politicians
Statues of monarchs
Cultural depictions of Giuseppe Garibaldi