The 6 talking statues of Rome
All you need to know about the 6 talking statues of Rome. Who they are, what they are, where to find them, what makes them so unique!
Brief history of the 6 talking statues of Rome …
Today, Freedom of Speech is ubiquitous to many Constitutions found among the Western world. However, it was not always so, and what right to political expression any state acknowledged was usually limited to the king and his court.
This is what makes the 6 talking statues of Rome (Italian: statue parlanti di Roma) so unique and special in my eyes. When we talk about political expression and speech concerning Rome, the mind is almost always drawn towards the graffiti and careless scrawls liberally thrown about on aqueducts, walls, and public toilets. The literary value of these ‘writings’ themselves would leave much to be desired.
Not so with the 6 talking statues. Also known as the Congrega degli arguti in Italian – Congregation of Wits for you savages – the 6 talking statues of Rome were the first iterations of social media ever created. On it would be found poems and sparse rhetoric targeting one thing or another to the discomfiture of the subjects mentioned. Written in stone, you couldn’t just press delete and hope no one else read it.
The ‘talking statues of Rome’ are a series of 6 statues in Rome used in the past around the 16th Century by the Roman Populus to express their political opinions and discontent against the papal government and the higher authorities.
Just imagine the sight; a disgruntled ex-employee putting you on blast and you literally can cut the power to silence the speakers…
Well, that was the idea anyways. In practice, it was a far more dangerous affair than you would think. Remember, these guys were ‘speaking’ out against figures as powerful as the Pope themselves. To illustrate the extents to which they would have to go to get their points across, imagine…
Nightime…
With the New Moon out in all her dark majesty, a cloaked and hooded figure scuttles about in the shadows, leaping from shadowed doorway to doorway. They must be careful; the dreaded Papal Guard is ever watchful, ever vigilant, and in their colourful costumes, they know they can only stand out for all to see.
So your assassin’s creed predecessor – yes, this is the origin behind those pioneers of the First Amendment – sidles up against their target sculpture. They are careful, easing out the mallet and chisel wrapped in cloth to make sure no sound gives them away. A studied glance at the stone lets them know where they must make their strike. The moment comes…
chink!
Off they go! Shrill whistles hound their steps as they flee from the scene. The mallet and chisels lie behind, a feint for the dreaded Papal security forces. They will find the prints on the evidence actually belong to the Pope, another mystery for the day. As for our assassin’s creed…I mean vaunted political dissenter, their mission for the night is done. Tomorrow they will target Abbot Luigi’s statue. It was touch and go for this one…literally touch and go!
What were these Statues that would be the targets of those lone voices in the dark?
- Pasquino
- Marforio
- Madama Lucrezia
- Il Facchino (the porter)
- Il Babuino (the baboon)
- Abate Luigi (Abbot Luigi)
Where To find Them?
| Statue Name | Address |
| Pasquino | Piazza Pasquino |
| Marforio | Capitoline Museums |
| Il Facchino | Via Lata |
| Madama Lucrezia | Piazza Venezia |
| Abate Luigi | Piazza Vidoni |
| Il Babuino | Via del Babuino |
Why them?
Copy-right clauses expressely forbid the Popes from removing these statues from the public eye. You guys all still think Zuckerberg is human, huh? Well, lemme tell you something. The guy is actually an immortal, tasked with making sure all your dirty secrets remain forever exposed so long as he keeps the servers secreted away…
Ok ok, just kidding…
There was a legend that the Statues had a spiritual power that prevented them from ever being destroyed or forgotten… One such legend has it that Pope Adrian VI – yes, him! – once ordered that the statues be chucked into the Tiber river and out of sight for all eternity. Clever, eh? Unfortunately, it was made apparent to the Pope that doing so would be a disaster of monumental proportions. He was told that once in the waters, the statues would start croaking, like a toad, and where only a few would get to view the poems on the statues, now the whole city would lie sleepless to the voices of freedom. Yeah, we know these pope’s were gullible AF!
Pope Adrian was not the only genius of his age; there is tale that another, more sagacious Pope, once offered money to any that came forward and confessed. Money, the root of all evil, would unroot itself! One such desperate fellow is said to have stepped forward, anxious to pay off the mortgage on his RV. The very next day V paid him a visit and delivered the vox populu’s verdict. He chopped off the vile, virulent, venal vermin’s hands for his voracious violation of volition, verily a warning most verbose in vindicating the vigilant yet vichyssoise verbiage of the valorous…okay, I ran out, but you get the idea. Betray the omertà and you get paid a visit.
Who were the 6 talking statues of Rome?
Pasquino:
The most famous of the 6 talking statues of Rome.
This legendary talking statue is actually the most notorious of the sextet, and most of the legends surround him. The statue is at Piazza Pasquino. Originally located at the stadium of Domitian, what is now called Piazza Navona, before moved to the Piazza Pasquino in 1501, Pasquino is Rome’s first talking statue. Art historians generally place the statue to the 3rd century AD and believe it represented Menalaus, Agamemnon’s brother, the king of Sparta.
No, not the “This is Sparta!” variety, but the “Troy” one. We all know how the Trojan war story started; Paris, the son the Trojan King, abducted Queen Helen of Sparta, wife to the Greek king Menelaus. Okay, the truth here is that these two lovers eloped so abduction is a wrong term to use.
So obviously the “dumped” King of Sparta decides to go after his wife with a huge Greek army that led to the decade-long siege of Troy! …at the end , the Greek King dies, lol, and Helen of Sparta becomes Helen of Troy…..Women!!! My Italian husband jokes of this story and says: “Menelao ando a Troia per prendersi la sua “troia.” …. the rhyme transaltes: Menelaus went to Troy to take his “whore”! Troia in Italian means the place Troy and also a “slut”…
Okay, I think I went off-topic…
Anyway, as the story goes, one of the legends is that there used to be a headmaster called Pasquino that resembled this statue, hence got his name.
Famous sayings by Pasquino …
There are several sayings attributed to this legend, among the most famous , for instance, being, “Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini‘ (What the Barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did).
Let me elaborate where this phrase came after. In 1625, the Barberini family which was headed by Pope Urban VIII (born Maffeo Barberini) , authorized Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the famous Italian sculptor and Architect, credited with creating the Baroque style of sculpture during the Renaissance period, to collect bronze from the Pantheon for the construction of the Baldacchino in St Peter’s basilica. In addition, Palazzo Barberini was also constructed with materials “stolen” from the Colosseum! A sad affair but looking at it now, it was more like robbing Peter to pay ….. Peter???”
Another goes, ‘Dacci un Papa miglior, Spirito Santo, che ci ami, tema Dio, né campi tant’.
This, in other words, roughly translates to, “Give, Oh Holy Spirit, a better Pope, who loves us, fears God and doesn’t live as long” – The Medici were a powerful medieval family known for their wealth and banking interests, interests powerful enough to influence the election of several of their family members to the Papal throne. Among them was Guilio de Medici, more commonly known as Pope Clemens VII. Clemens VII didn’t do much wrong…save for the fact that he lived a tad too long to the power-hungry families of Rome. 10 years is too long you say? Well, his predecessor, Pope Adrian VI, only lasted a year or so…
Did you know, the English word, “pasquinade,” is derived from Pasquino, and means to lampoon or satirize? You English speakers should know where I’m headed by now, english borrowed a ton , if not all, of it’s words …. some respect please to the Latin speakers ,,, anyone, mhh ??
Marforio:
Less famous but just as vociferous, Marforio is the second of the six and can be found in the courtyard of the Capitoline Museums on the Camidoglio. We believe he is meant to represent the River Tiber – or at the very least some River God – and was originally to be found at the Foro Romano.
…The Roman Forum you savages!
An interesting datum is that Pasquino and Marforio are regarded as a duo, a double act, where Marforio would pose a question to which the former would respond shortly.
You can imagine the dread that would descend upon the vigilantly voracious vainglorious Papal guards vaingloriously waiting upon the valorous visitation of the vestige of the vox populi hoping to vanquish and make disappear this… yeah, you know how it goes
A legend, perhaps anecdotal, goes that when Napoleon carried away Rome’s precious artifacts during his hey day, he actually contemplated carrying away at least one of the talking statues. However, the Spirit of Rome descended upon the statues and made the critique-averse conqueror think twice about absconding with the precious.
Marforio asked, “È vero che i Francesi sono tutti ladri?” [Pasquino, is it true all French are all thieves?]
Pasquino’s response was, “Tutti no, ma Bona Parte.” [Not all, but a good portion.]
Bonaparte, in Italian, translates to ‘good part’ or ‘good portion’ or ‘good amount.’
As you can see, Napoleon’s genius was not only in winning his battles, but picking which battles to fight. Who was he to tempt the talking statues?
IL Facchino ( The Porter ):
Less famous than the previous duo, the statue is a small fountain in Via Lata and represents a man carrying a barrel. Because of the poorly preserved face on the statue, some believe the statue was a representation of the 16th century reformer, Martin Luther. According to this theory, the statue drew the ire of Catholics who couldn’t stand his smug face, and, subsequently, took a hammer to it.
Cough cough [eyes shifting about, sotto voce], there are some who believe that in reality, this statue is meant to represent Guy Fawkes, carrying a barrel of gunpowder meant to blow up Parliament. Nonsense of course, the statues are meant to serve as political rhetoric, not political bomb-all-ic!
It is the youngest of all six, and the least known. Art historians date the statue to the 17th century, using his attire and the acquaroli as reference points indicating he was a water carrier. Some even suggest that the sculptor was Jacopo Del Conte, the 16th century Florentine painter known for a number of exquisite master pieces such as Annunciation to Zachariah (1536), Preaching of Saint John the Baptist (1538), Baptism of Christ (1541), and Deposition (1552).
Madame Lucrezia:
The only feminine figure among the 6, this statue is believed to represent Isis, the Egyptian Goddess, and stands at 4 meters – the plinth the bust stands on is 1 meter high – and can be found on the corner of a piazza between the Palazzo Venezia and the Basillica of St. Mark.
Interestingly enough, it is not named after the Egyptian deity, but a certain Lucrezia D` Alagno, a 15th century Roman noble known to Alfonso d’Aragona’s – King of Naples – lover. Or she could be the Empress Faustina, Emperor Constantius II’s third wife. Not much can be derived from the statue really; the figure is horribly disfigured. Even so, she was the subject of much of the ‘dialogue’ between Pasquino and Marforio.
There is a particularly salacious legend associated with her. As the story goes:
The Love Affair;
Lucrezia was Lover to the then King of Naples, Alfonso D’Aragona, who was married to Maria of Castile! Like most side-chicks, they get all the good stuffs unlike the wives who have to be the ones dealing with all their husbands drama, missing sock, toilet seat up et cetra et cetra… I should know this. Lucrezia was so much loved by the King that she was given family lands, titles and wealth, I should be a side-chick to some rich guy…. anyone….
So the love birds pleaded to the Pope for his divorce to his wife Maria, which was denied. Hence they were left with mother nature to do her job onto Maria of Castile. Like Romeo and Juliet, death was but a beginning! But, we gat Karma, no?
Sadly the King dies…. of illness, all natural, but who knows, back then the knew more about poisons, picking the wrong mushroom was enough…. anyways,after his death, now Lucrezia is all alone then the second Karma hits – the king’s son, angered, commanded she leave for Rome, never to leave her gates ever again.
In retaliation, she opted to adopt the statue, and in memory f her valiant sacrifice, the statue was forever named after her.
Abate Luigi:
Found in the Piazza Vidoni, close to the Piazza Navona, the statue is a man in a toga, consequently, driving art historians to date it to the late Roman Imperial era. Even so, the name originated from the abbot of the Chiesa del Sudario, said to have borne a remarkable resemblance to the statue.
It is interesting to note how sure art historians are about this particular statue. Perhaps it is because of the facial resemblance ( he had a face before you know, at some point). Perhaps it is because of the inscription at the statue’s base that reads:
‘Fui dell’antica Roma un cittadino
Ora Abate Luigi ognuno mi chiama
Conquistai con Marforio e con Pasquino
Nelle satire urbane eterna fama
Ebbi offese, disgrazia e sepoltura
Ma qui vita novella e alfin sicura’
“I was a citizen of ancient Rome, now everyone calls me abbot Luigi, with Pasquino and Marforio I gained fame for urban satire. I suffered offences, disgraces, and got buried but found here eventually new and safe life.”
Hey, he was an abbot! What did you expect, something closer to Ramses II’s ‘humble’ words?
IL Babuino ( The baboon) :
Babuino in Italian, that is to say, the baboon! No one knows why it is called a baboon because baboons clearly dont like like this, ohh well, the Romans never saw one , now did they. Another reason for the name is that its ugly… are baboons UGLY!!!! Cutest things ever!
The statue of the baboon represents a male figure reposed on his side. It is believed to be Silenus, the sartyr or half-man, half-goat, from Roman mythlogy. Legend has it that in 1581, a merchant by the name of Patrizio Grandi sponsored the construction of a fountain on the via Paolina. For this worthy sacrifice, Pope Pius IV granted him free water to use for his home and farms in perpetuity.
Il Babuino’s ties to fame are probably derived from its sanguine yet ugly face. Italians considered Il Babuino especially talkative, and it is said that “If Pasquino had pasquinate, babuino had Babuinate.”
In conclusion, Please watch my Youtube channel on the 6 talking statues of Rome, just incase watching is your thing plus you get to see Rome with me as I walk around …. I know Rome is a dream for you, well let me just show you why you need to save every coin … in short, get your ass here!
Watch video of the 6 talking statues of Rome …
Yee Rome lovers, read my other blogs in Rome from the Spanish Steps, to the Pantheon, to the St. Peter’s Basilica , to the beautiful love story of the Trevi Fountain. Yep, I cover everything in here on the Eternal City, Rome, moreover, to IL bel paese, Italy!
That’s it folks! I certainly hope you enjoyed this overview of the 6 talking statues of Rome, which are very specific to Rome, and its helped you get a bit of an insight into life in papal Rome in the 16th century. When you visit Rome, use google maps to hunt these guys down! Rome is magical and more than just the Colosseum , the Trevi and the Basilica. That is to say, Rome has hidden gems and I’m going to show you more.
