El Vecino Curioso

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El Vecino Curioso (The Curious Neighbor) by Salvador Fernández Oliva, 1999
Calle de la Almudena
Madrid, September 2025

“Madrid has almost 2,000 sculptures, some of which are predictably dedicated to former monarchs, military heroes, and other prominent public figures. Yet some of the more interesting statues are compelling precisely because of how ordinary they are. Look carefully and you'll find life-size depictions or anonymous Madrileños going about their business. ‘El Vecino Curioso’, or ‘The Curious Neighbor’, is a bronze of a middle-aged gentleman created by sculptor Salvador Fernández Oliva in 1999. He appears to be leaning on a railing and looking down at the archeological remains of Santa María de la Almudena, the first church to be built in Madrid. The statue is anchored directly to the sidewalk, without a base. Unfortunately, only a few remnants of the original church survived after it fell victim to the construction work on Calle de Bailén in 1868. What's left is visible through a protective glass case, into which this curious neighbor peers. The statue's underside is polished from the many times it has been touched. Some say this is out of habit, others think it brings good luck. The statue has spent several decades in the same place, practicing the national sport of pensioners: ‘watching the works’.” (The Curious Neighbor, Atlas Obscura)

Colombi

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‘Colombi’ (Doves) by Nerino Negri, 1972
Piazzetta Garzeria
Padua, May 2025

“The sculpture titled ‘Colombi’ is one of the most iconic works by Paduan sculptor Nerino Negri (1924–2012), created in 1972 and integrated into the fountain designed by architect Francesco Mansutti. It is located in Piazzetta Garzeria, a small pedestrian area in the heart of Padua's historic center, near Piazza dei Signori and the Duomo. Originally, the sculpture included multiple elements, including doves in flight and in pose, arranged around the fountain's basin. However, due to repeated vandalism and attempted theft over the years, two of the doves in flight were removed and transferred to the Civic Museum of Padua for preservation. The remaining ones are securely anchored, blending perfectly with their surroundings.” (Colombi, Grok)

Tobiolo

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Tobiolo by Amleto Sartori, 1958
Piazzetta Garzeria
Padua, May 2025

“The sculpture ‘Tobias’ represents an emblematic moment in Sartori's artistic maturity, steeped in biblical and mythological imagery that reflects his passion for literature and the human condition. Made in 1958 as a full-relief bronze sculpture (approximately 1 meter tall), it depicts Tobias (or Tobiolo), the young protagonist of the Old Testament Book of Tobit, captured in the dynamic gesture of clutching a fish in his arms. This episode alludes to the miracle in which Tobias, guided by the Archangel Raphael, catches a fish in the Tigris River: from its entrails he will extract the gall that will cure his father Tobit's blindness. The figure is rendered with elegance and vitality: the boy's slender, athletic body, twisted, conveys muscular tension and a sense of imminent movement, as if the fish could escape at any moment. Sartori infuses the sculpture with a grace ‘possessed by the material’, where the bronze seems to come alive with an emotional storm – formal perfection combined with a playful cunning, echoing his theatrical masks. The work is part of a series of ‘heroic and mythological’ sculptures that Sartori produced in the postwar period, often in cast bronze, influenced by his exploration of form and gesture. Displayed in retrospective exhibitions (such as the 2015 one at the Galleria Cavour in Padua for the centenary of his birth), ‘Tobiolo’ is praised for its ability to ‘come alive in an instant’, symbolizing themes of salvation, youth, and divine intervention.” (Tobiolo, Grok)

Alberto Cavalletto

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Monument to Alberto Cavalletto by Augusto Sanavio, 1902
Via Cavalletto
Padua, May 2025

“Alberto Cavalletto (Padua, 28 November 1813 – Padua, 19 October 1897) was an Italian politician. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860 and a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy from 1864 to 1865 and from 1868 to 1892. In that year he was appointed senator of the Kingdom of Italy. He was born in Bassanello, a riverside suburb of Padua, on November 28, 1813, to Antonio Cavalletto and Maria Sandri. He graduated in hydraulic engineering from the University of Padua. He joined the ranks of the Liberals at a very young age, and in 1848 he fought in Vicenza as a major in the Brenta Bacchiglione Legion and played an active role in the defense of Venice. Arrested by the Austrian police in 1852, he was sentenced to death together with Tito Speri, Giovanni Malaman and other patriots, but obtained a commutation of the sentence to sixteen years of imprisonment, which was served in Josefstadt and Ljubljana. Released with the amnesty of 1856, he moved to Piedmont, where he continued his patriotic work in favour of the unification of Italy under the Savoy. From January 1859, Cavalletto became a key figure in the Central Political Committee of Veneto, created to coordinate the local secret committees that acted in the territory with propaganda actions against the Habsburg government. In the last years of Austrian domination in Veneto, Cavalletto was the instigator (or accomplice of the organisers) of various attacks and the throwing of ‘Orsini bombs’ against the houses of priests and private citizens accused of opposing unification. The Political Committee, of which the Paduan was secretary, was also responsible for financing protest demonstrations in Veneto and Friuli, characterised by the lighting of ‘Bengal fires’ and the display of tricolours.” (Alberto Cavalletto, Wikipedia)

Federico García Lorca

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Statue of Federico García Lorca
Café Chinitas
Pasaje Chinitas
Málaga, March 2025

“The Café Chinitas, known to its regulars as Café El Chinitas or Café de Chinitas, was a small theatre or café singer that began its journey in the mid- 19th century in the Spanish city of Málaga (Andalusia) between 1857 and its final closure in 1937 by the Málaga municipal authorities during the Civil War. The establishment opened to the Málaga public as a theatre called Salón Royal until it was changed; on the posters advertising its shows, it was advertised as ‘Salón-Teatro Chinitas’. The name comes from a dramatic actor named Chinitas. On September 30, 2024, it reopened its doors after 87 years, in its same location, maintaining the essence of what it once was. In the renovated Café Chinitas, we can see a life-size statue of Lorca, leaning on the bar that welcomes visitors, a reminder of the poet's intimate connection with this place.” (Café Chinitas, Wikipedia)

El Cenachero

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“El Cenachero” by Jaime Fernández Pimentel, 1968
Plaza de la Marina
Málaga, March 2025

“This bronze sculpture created by Málaga artist Jaime Fernández Pimentel in 1968 represents a typical and traditional figure of Málaga, the ‘Cenachero’ or Fish Vendor. El Cenachero sold fish on the streets of the city while maintaining the balance of the two esparto baskets he carried. These basket are called ‘cenachos’ in Spanish, hence his name. The cenachos were handmade of esparto and filled at the beaches where the central fishing net was landed. Generally, Cenacheros sold anchovies, but also traded in mackerel, sardines or whitebait. The sculpture shows how a traditional cenachero dressed: with a sash, the hanging cenachos and a hat to protect him from the heat. In honour of the twinning of the cities of Málaga and Mobile, Alabama, Málaga City Council donated a replica of this sculpture to Mobile, which has been erected in a square of this American city.” (El Cenachero, Ayuntamiento de Málaga)

Emilio Salgari

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Emilio Salgari by Sergio Pasetto, 2015
Piazzetta Capretto
Verona, May 2025

“Emilio Salgari (21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante Alighieri. In the 21st century, he is still among the 40 most translated Italian authors. Many of his most popular novels have been adapted as comics, animated series and feature films. He is considered the father of Italian adventure fiction and Italian pop culture, and the ‘grandfather’ of the Spaghetti Western. Emilio Salgari was born in Verona to a family of modest merchants. From a young age, he had the desire to explore the seas and studied seamanship at a nautical technical institution in Venice, but his academic performance was too poor, and he never graduated. He began his writing career as a reporter for the daily La Nuova Arena, which published some of his work as serials. As his powers of narration grew, so did his reputation for having lived a life of adventure. He claimed to have explored the Sudan desert, met Buffalo Bill in Nebraska (he had actually met him during his ‘Wild West Show’ tour of Italy), and sailed the Seven Seas. His early biographies were filled with adventurous tales set in the Far East, events which he claimed were the basis for much of his work. Salgari had actually never ventured farther than the Adriatic Sea.” (Emilio Salgari, Wikipedia)

El Oso y el Madroño

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“El Oso y el Madroño” by Antonio Navarro Santafé, 1967
Puerta del Sol
Madrid, September 2025

“The Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree (Spanish: El Oso y el Madroño) is a sculpture from the second half of the 20th century, situated in the Spanish capital, Madrid. It represents the coat of arms of Madrid and is found on the east side of the Puerta del Sol, between Calle de Alcalá and Carrera de San Jerónimo, in the historical centre of the capital. The statue is a work of the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé (1906-1983) and it was inaugurated on 19 January 1967. It was promoted by the section of Culture of the City council of Madrid, which wanted to represent the main heraldic symbols of the city in a monument. The first appearance of a wild bear and a strawberry tree on the coat of arms of the city was in the 13th century. Previously, it only incorporated a bear in passant attitude, until it was replaced in the aforementioned century by the two current figures. With this change, they wanted to symbolise the resolution adopted by the municipality and the Chapter of Priests and Beneficiaries after a long litigation about the control of Madrilenian pastures and trees. Since this agreement, the former became property of the Chapter and the latter of the council. From here they modified the arms, including a strawberry tree and of a bear in a new posture: leaning on the tree with both paws. The sculpture has always been in the Puerta del Sol, but in two locations inside the square. Before 1986, it was situated in the east side of it, in the vicinity of the building between the Calle de Alcalá and the Carrera St. Jerónimo. That year, it was moved to the front of Carmen Street for the square's reform and remodeling, promoted by mayor Enrique Tierno Galván. In September 2009, with the integral renewal of the square promoted by Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, it has gone back to its original location.” (Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Wikipedia)

Monument to Savonarola

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Monument to Savonarola by Enrico Pazzi, 1875
Piazza Savonarola
Florence, December 2024

“The Monument to Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola is an outdoor marble statue on a plinth in honor of the 15th-century Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola; it is located in a piazza of the same name a few blocks outside of the Viali di Circonvallazione, in Northeastern Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. This monument has a colorful history of migrations. The statue was completed circa 1875 by Enrico Pazzi, a native of Ravenna, at a time, when anti-papal feelings ran high in Italy. However, Savonarola has always been a polarizing historic figure, maniacal in his faith, and the perpetrator of the original Bonfire of the Vanities. His theology was not compatible with contemporary liberal thought. The statue was conceived by Pazzi in 1861, who habitually created public monuments before they were requisitioned. A committee was formed in 1869 to commission a monument to Savonarola, which was to be placed in the convent of San Marco; however, they did not choose Pazzi's model, but instead chose one by Giovanni Duprè, a former mentor of Pazzi. This was to lead to fierce conflict between the two sculptors. In 1870, another committee, chaired by Prince Ferdinando Strozzi, selected to commission Pazzi's more grandiose and more anti-papal statue, and obtained the Commune's permission to site the sculpture in the first cloister of the Florentine convent. However, the drop in revenue caused by the transfer of the capital of Italy from Florence to Rome, cancelled this project. By 1873, Duprè completed his contribution: a simple plaque and relief bust placed in the cell of the friar in San Marco. Pazzi's work, completed only in 1875, did not find enough subscribers, and was donated ultimately to the Town Hall. It remained in studio till 1882, when it was installed, to much criticism, into the niche of the southern end of the Salone dei Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio. One justification for this placement was that Savonarola had commissioned the creation of this large hall in 1497. There was still rumors that it would be moved in the future to the precinct of San Marco. The statue had displaced none other than a Michelangelo statue, placed here by Vasari.” (Monument to Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola, Wikipedia)

Svatý Václav

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Svatý Václav (Saint Wenceslas) by Vincenc Vosmík, 1906
Ke Hradu, Malá Strana
Prague, September 2024

“Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav; c. 907 – 28 September 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the Prince (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel. His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known ‘Good King Wenceslas’ , a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.” (Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Wikipedia)

Civiltà Italica

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‘Civiltà Italica’ by Egidio Girelli, 1919
Piazzetta XIV Novembre
Verona, May 2025

“The statue, conceived as a female allegory, symbolizes the Civiltà Italica. It was commissioned to remember the victims of the Austrian bombardments on 14th November 1915, during the First World War. The monument was inaugurated on 14th November 1920, for the 5th anniversary of this tragic event. It is by Egidio Girelli (1878-1972), a sculptor from Verona and it is his first statue made of bronze. The female figure, attired in an ancient dress and with a sword in her hand, is seen as the perfect exponent of pain and suffering, also thanks to the loose movement of the statue, which reminds of the Modern Style. The work is in good enough state of preservation and finlyvalued.” (Statua della Civiltà Italica, VisitVerona)

Berto Barbarani

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Berto Barbarani by Novello Finotti, 2004
Via Cappello
Verona, May 2025

“Roberto Tiberio Barbarani was born in the city on 3 December 1872 and died here on 27 January 1945. He was one of the greatest 20th century Italian language and dialect poets. Roberto, known as Berto, was born in the city centre, near the Ponte Nuovo bridge over the Adige river, to a modest family who ran an ironmongers shops. Despite having to drop out of college after his father’s death to help his mother in the shop, the young Barbarani continued with his studies, until enrolling to read law at Padua university. His time at university did not last long but it offered an environment where he could begin to share his talent for poetry, by contributing to the student newspaper, which published a few of his poems that were later included in his first collection El Rosario del Cor, in 1895. He wrote for many local daily papers such as L’Arena and the Gazzetino. His poems represented the spirit and feelings of the Veronese people, thanks in part to his skilful use of the Verona dialect. His verses are alive with the locations and the characters of daily Verona life in the first half of the twentieth century, full of its joys and sorrows. The loves, affections and fleeting moments of happiness in the lives of Verona people punctuate his verses, which are, however, dominated by a melancholy tone and an awareness of the precariousness of life, particularly towards the end of his days, which coincided with the second world war. In the city, we can find a statue of our beloved Berto in Piazza Erbe, at the entrance to Via Cappello, gazing wistfully towards another statue, the symbol of the city, Madonna di Verona.” (Berto Barbarani, VisitVerona)

Vittorio Bottego

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Monument to Vittorio Bottego by Ettore Ximenes, 1907
Piazzale Dalla Chiesa
Parma, May 2024

“This monument, which dates back to 1907, is work of the sculptor architect from Palermo Ettore Ximenes and it was projected for free because of the friendship which bound the sculptor to Vittorio Bottego. An ample tank gathers the waters gushing out from the monument formed by a tall boulders pedestal, which on the bronze statue rises from, Bottego in colonial troops uniform facing toward East. By the sides, the two Gauloises warriors represent the rivers Giuba and Omo. The monument is situated in Piazzale dalla Chiesa, in front of the railway station.” (Vittorio Bottego monument, Parma Welcome)

Ercole e Anteo

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Ercole e Anteo (Hercules and Antaeus) by Teodoro Vanderstruck, 1687
Palazzo Cusani (Casa della Musica)
Piazzale San Francesco
Parma, May 2024

“The copper sculpture group of Hercules and Antaeus was created between 1684 and 1687 by the Flemish sculptor Van der Struck based on a design by Reti, at the Ducal Hammersmith in Colorno. The statue, depicting the fight between the mythological hero Hercules and the giant Antaeus, was intended to be an integral part of the fountain, as the water flowed directly from Antaeus' mouth. Today the original is located in the center of the courtyard of Palazzo Cusani, known as the House of Music, while the copy is in Via Repubblica leaning against the Palazzo del Comune in Parma. The statue was commissioned by Ranuccio II Farnese in 1684, to decorate a new fountain in the Ducal Garden. In fact, in that period various works were started to arrange the park in view of the wedding of Ranuccio's son, Odoardo III. The work was completed only in 1689, even if the engraving on the foot of Antaeus is dated 1687. The statue walking through the city The statue was dismantled around the middle of the eighteenth century on the occasion of the restructuring of the garden by Petitot. In May 1784 the sculptural group was requested from Duke Ferdinando by Count Cesare Ventura to be placed under the loggia of the internal courtyard of the Palazzo della Zecca di Governo, the current Casa della Musica.” (Ercole e Anteo, Talking Teens)

Monumento alla Vittoria

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Monumento alla Vittoria (Victory monument) by Lamberto Cusani, 1920
Viale Toschi
Parma, May 2024

“Conceived by Lamberto Cusani (1920), the part in marble almost totally prepared by the soldiers and legionaries of the Scuola di applicazione di Fanteria di Parma, the part in bronze modeled by Ettore Ximenes, melted at the military arsenal in Turin with the metal taken from enemy, the monument was inaugurated on the 27th of September 1931 at the presence of king Vittorio Emanuele the Third. A high column with capital in cement faced with marble from Verona is risen by a solid plinth made of stone from the Grappa. A bronze frieze winds the shaft on which a long sword adheres. A winged female figure, placed on a bronzy sphere - supported by the capital - represents the Victoria and concludes the 10 meters column. The monument is located along Avenue Toschi, proceeding from the railway station toward the city center, on the right side.” (Victory monument, Parma Welcome)

Papa Gregorio X

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Papa Gregorio X by Giorgio Groppi, 1998
Giardino Gregorio X
Via Scalabrini
Piacenza, May 2024

“Pope Gregory X (Latin: Gregorius X; c. 1210 – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. He was elected at the conclusion of a papal election that ran from 1268 to 1271, the longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church. He convened the Second Council of Lyon and also made new regulations in regards to the papal conclave. Gregory was beatified by Pope Clement XI in 1713 after the confirmation of his cultus.” (Pope Gregory X, Wikipedia)

Monumento al Correggio

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Monumento al Correggio (Monument to Correggio) by Agostino Ferrari, 1870
Piazza Garibaldi
Parma, May 2024

“The monument dedicated to painter Antonio Allegri also known as Correggio is located next to the Town Hall palace in Garibaldi square. It was sculpted by Agostino Ferrari in 1870. It represents Correggio in the act of observing his own work by placing it with one hand above his knee while with the other placed close to his ear he holds a brush as if to correct his execution, he has been the subject of repeated misfortunes, as when his head while the sculptor was working on the statue or when the same head was struck by lightning in 1982 and fell tumbling to the ground.” (Correggio monument, Parma Welcome)

Ludovico Antonio Muratori

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Monument to Ludovico Antonio Muratori by Adeodato Malatesta, 1853
Via Emilia Centro
Modena, May 2024

“Monument located in via Emilia, exactly in front of Palazzo Montecuccoli degli Erri, dedicated to Ludovico Antonio Muratori, historian, scholar and ecclesiastic born in the province of Modena (1672-1750). The work was created in 1853 by the Modenese painter and sculptor Adeodato Malatesta (1806-1891).” (Monumento a Ludovico Antonio Muratori, TourER)

Monumento al Parmigianino

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Monumento al Parmigianino (Monument to Parmigianino) by Giovanni Chierici, 1879
Piazza della Steccata
Parma, May 2024

“The Monumento al Parmigianino is a monument dedicated to the Mannerist painter Francesco Mazzola, also known as Parmigianino, located in Parma, Italy. It was erected in 1879 after the unification of Italy. The monument is a white marble statue of Parmigianino, created by Giovanni Chierici, and forms part of a drinking fountain. It is situated in Piazza della Steccata, near the Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata, where the statue is visible on a small square behind the church.” (Monumento al Parmigianino, AIO)

Santa Maria Immacolata

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Santa Maria Immacolata (Saint Mary Immaculate Conception) by Giuseppe Mazza, 1805
Piazza Grande
Modena, May 2024

“The balcony is instead occupied by a statue of the Immaculate Conception by Giuseppe Mazza, placed in 1805 on the occasion of Pope Pius VII's visit to the city, placed on the base which was already the pedestal for the unfortunate equestrian monument to Francis III in Piazza Sant'Agostino. Vittorio Emanuele III, among others, looked out from this balcony when he arrived in Modena in 1929.” (Palazzo Comunale, La Guida di Modena)