The Six 'Talking' Statues of Rome

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Pasquino

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Dotted about the centre of Rome are six statues that once had 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. The good tailor is thought to have started the practice of attaching to the statue anonymous satirical comments critical of the papacy and the powers-that-be. The practise quickly caught on and in time 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 nearby piazza in 1501 by Cardinal Oliviero Carafa. The statue may once have decorated the ancient Stadium of Domitian (c. 80-86 CE), which stood on the site of today's Piazza Navona. 

Rome soon had as many as six talking statues (statue parlanti). In addition to Pasquino (Piazza di Pasquino), there is Madame Lucrezia (Piazza San Marco), L'Abate Luigi (Abbot Luigi, Piazza Vidoni), the Fontana del Facchino (Fountain of the Porter, Via Lata), Marforio (Musei Capitolini) and the Fontana del Babuino (Fountain of the Baboon, Via del Babuino).

The six talking statues came to be known as the Congrega degli Arguti (Congregation of Wits).  

Probably the most famous pasquinade was posted after Pope Urban VIII (r. 1623-44) requisitioned the bronze girders of the portico of the Pantheon (which were melted down and turned into cannons): Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini (What the barbarians didn't do, the Barberini did). Urban VIII was a member of the Barberini family. 

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Madame Lucrezia

In the corner of Piazza San Marco, in the shadow of Palazzo Venezia, stands the remains of an ancient statue, which, for the last 500 years, has been known as Madame Lucrezia.  The real identity of the statue is unknown. 

The statue was originally set up (circa 1500) outside the Basilica San Marco, but was soon moved to its present spot, where it began carrying on 'conversations' with Marforio, a fellow 'talking' statue, on the nearby Capitoline Hill. 

In 1799, Madame Lucrezia fell from her pedestal, breaking into several pieces. She was said to have declared: 'I've seen enough'. She was soon repaired and returned to her corner, where she still stands, largely ignored and unnoticed by most passers-by.

Madame Lucrezia is the only female representative of the Congregation of Wits.  

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Babuino

In 1581, Patrizio Grandi, a rich merchant, built a public fountain in what was then Via Paolina. Grandi decorated the fountain with an ancient statue of Silenus, a character in Roman mythology, who is half man, half goat. However, the locals seem to have been shocked by its ugliness and soon renamed the statue the baboon (babuino). In time Via Paolina became Via del Babuino. 

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Abate Luigi

The ancient statue, known as Abate Luigi, stands in the shadow of the church of Sant' Andrea della Valle.  Sporting a toga, the man was probably a magistrate. Centuries later he gained the name Abate Luigi, possibly on account of his resemblance to a local priest. 

The Fountain of the Porter (Fontana del Facchino)

The Fontana del Facchino (Fountain of the Porter) dates back to the end of the 16th century. According to some accounts, the porter is a portrait of Abbondio Rizzio, a water-carrier famed for his strength. 

Marforio

The large marble statue of a reclining river god (or Oceanus), which is the centrepiece of the courtyard of the Palazzo Nuovo, is known as Marforio. 

Originally located in the Forum, the statue was, for centuries, a major landmark. The name Marforio may be a corruption of mare in foro (the sea in the forum), the inscription that was engraved on the granite basin. 

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