Piazza G.G. Belli is the square just across from the Ponte Garibaldi in the Trastevere district in Rome. Attractions on this square are the statue of Mr. Belli himself, the Palazzo Anguillara and the tower attached to this medieval tower.
Piazza G.G. Belli Rome
Statue
The monument embellishing the square is dedicated to a local poet called Belli. It was made by request of the people of Rome. Its creator was a Sicilian sculptor called Michele Tripisciano, who refused to take money for the project. The sculpture was finished in 1913.
Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli (1791-1863) is especially known because of his 2279 poems written in the local Romanesco dialect. He is depicted with an iron club, attached to the statue with cement and painted black to make it resemble ebony. The reason for this is that the original wooden club was stolen several times by souvenir hunters.
Belli, who is wearing a top hat, also has his thumb and index finger make a circle, a rather vulgar gesture in Rome, but it is not known why this was done.
Although his sonnets were often critical of the church and its prelates, he would later accept the job of censor for the papal government. His victims were, a.o., Shakespeare and the composers Verdi and Rossini.
