Abbot Luigi ( Romanesco: ''Abbate Luiggi''; it, Abate Luigi) is one of the talking statues of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Like the other five "talking statues",

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 ...

s – irreverent

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

s poking fun at public figures – were posted beside ''Abate Luigi'' in the 14th and 15th centuries. The statue is a late

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

sculpture of a standing man in a

toga The toga (, ), a distinctive garment of ancient Rome, was a roughly semicircular cloth, between in length, draped over the shoulders and around the body. It was usually woven from white wool, and was worn over a tunic. In Roman historical tra ...

, probably a senior

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

. It was found during the excavations for the foundations of the

Palazzo Vidoni-Caffarelli The Palazzo Vidoni-Caffarelli is a palace at the intersections of Via del Sudario, Piazza Vidoni, and Corso Vittorio Emanuele in the rione Sant’Eustachio in Rome. History The Renaissance palace, whose design, for many years was attributed to Ra ...

, near the

Theatre of Pompey The Theatre of Pompey ( la, Theatrum Pompeii, it, Teatro di Pompeo) was a structure in Ancient Rome built during the latter part of the Roman Republican era by Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus). Completed in 55BC, it was the first perma ...

. After being moved to various locations in Rome, the statue has been situated in the

piazza Vidoni A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

since 1924, near its place of discovery, on a side wall of the Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle. Its head has been removed in jest several times. The original identity of the person depicted has not been determined, and it was named after a clergyman from the nearby chiesa del Sudario. An inscription on its plinth testifies to Abate Luigi's loquacity: FUI DELL’ANTICA ROMA UN CITTADINO ORA ABATE LUIGI OGNUN MI CHIAMA CONQUISTAI CON MARFORIO E CON PASQUINO NELLE SATIRE URBANE ETERNA FAMA EBBI OFFESE, DISGRAZIE E SEPOLTURA MA QUI VITA NOVELLA E ALFIN SICURA ''I was a citizen of Ancient Rome'' ''Now all call me Abbot Louis'' ''Along with Marforio and Pasquino I conquer'' ''Eternal fame for Urban Satire'' ''I received offences, disgrace, and burial,'' ''till here I found new life and finally safety''

Sources

*Rendina, C., "Pasquino statua parlante”, ''ROMA ieri, oggi, domani'', n. 20 – febbraio 1990

External links

L’Abate Luigi''The Insider's Guide to Rome'', p.73
{{Talking statue of Rome Late Roman Empire sculptures Talking statues of Rome Rome R. VIII Sant'Eustachio

See also

Sources

External links