Statue of Giordano Bruno, Bronze memorial statue in Campo de' Fiori, Rome, Italy
The bronze memorial stands on a stepped granite base in the center of Campo de' Fiori and shows an upright figure in a floor-length robe. The work appears dark due to the metal patina and stands out against the colored building facades around it.
Ettore Ferrari created the sculpture in 1889, three centuries after the Inquisition burned Giordano Bruno at this spot. The unveiling coincided with political tensions between the newly unified Italian state and the Vatican.
The figure wears a heavy cloak with the hood pulled low and holds its arms crossed over a closed book. Eight round medallions on the base show portraits of thinkers who opposed church doctrine.
The monument sits in the middle of the market square, where vendors spread out with fruit and vegetables. Access is level, although people often stand close around the base during the day.
Pope Leo XIII spent the day of the unveiling praying and fasting before the statue of Peter in St. Peter's Basilica. The Church forbade its faithful from attending the public celebrations.
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