Pasquino, Ancient marble statue at Palazzo Braschi, Rome, Italy
Pasquino is a heavily weathered marble torso at the corner between Piazza Navona and Palazzo Braschi in Rome. The figure shows Menelaus holding the lifeless Patroclus, though erosion has made many details hard to see.
Workers discovered the torso in 1501 during excavations near the Stadium of Domitian. Shortly afterward, it was placed at its current site and became a symbol of public opinion in the city.
In the 1500s, residents started attaching anonymous satirical verses to the base. This tradition turned the torso into a space for free expression, where political criticism could be voiced without consequences.
The sculpture stands at a street corner near Piazza Navona and is accessible at any time. Occasionally, notes with messages still hang on the base, recalling the old tradition.
Pope Adrian VI considered throwing the torso into the Tiber in the 16th century because the critical messages annoyed him. The attempt to end the tradition failed due to popular resistance.
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