The ''Babuino'' ( Romanesco: ''Il Babbuino''; , ''The Baboon'') is one of the talking statues of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The fountain is situated in front of the Canova Tadolini Museum, in via del Babuino.

History

The statue is an ancient depiction of a reclining

Silenus In Greek mythology, Silenus (; , ) was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue ('' thiasos''), and sometimes considerably older, in which case he may be referred to as a Pa ...

: a character in Roman mythology, half man, half goat. In 1581, Patrizio Grandi, a rich merchant, built a public

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

in the former via Paolina, which he had decorated with this statue. According to the custom established by

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius 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 itself a b ...

, he obtained free water for his house and fields in exchange for donating the fountain to the city.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.

Political comment and graffiti

Pasquinade A pasquinade or pasquil is a form of satire, usually an anonymous brief lampoon in verse or prose, and can also be seen as a form of literary caricature. The genre became popular in early modern Europe, in the 16th century, though the term had b ...

s – 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 as

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

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.

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

History

Political comment and graffiti

See also

Sources

References

External links