Like most bigger Italian cities, Bologna has a monument dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, the “Hero of the Two Worlds”. The inauguration of the monument took place on July 8th, 1900. The sculptor was Arnaldo Zocchi.
Garibaldi Monument Bologna
Useful information
Address: Via dell’Indipendenza, 44 – Bologna.
History and description
In order to be able to place the statue in its spot, another one, depicting Ugo Basso had to be moved elsewhere. It took such a long time to find the ideal place for the equestrian statue of Garibaldi, that the playwright Alfredo Testoni ended up writing a successful comedy called “Where will we put Garibaldi?” (In dovv s’mett Garibaldi?). The “people” debating where to put Garibaldi were the other statues of Bologna.
It is placed across the road from the Arena del Sole Theater in the Via dell’Indipendenza.
Arnoldi Zocchi (1862-1940) was also responsible for one of the “Winged Victories” on the Vittorio Emanuele Monument in Rome.
Ugo Bassi was an early 19th century nationalist priest, who was executed by an Austrian firing squad in 1849. His statue ended up in the street that was subsequently also named after him.