Monumento ai caduti del VIII Agosto 1848, Bronze memorial monument in Piazza VIII Agosto, Bologna, Italy

Monumento ai caduti del VIII Agosto 1848 is a bronze and granite memorial in Piazza VIII Agosto that depicts a local citizen in a determined fighting stance atop a tall stone base. The sculpture communicates struggle and resolve through its dynamic pose and materials.

Pasquale Rizzoli's bronze statue was dated 1903, modelled to recall the day the Bolognese people drove the Austrians out of the city after an exchange of gunfire. Its unveiling, set for 8 August 1903, was moved to 20 September after the Socialist Union, backed by the Società Operaie, called a counter-demonstration against the uninvited Catholic Associations.

Locals call the bronze figure "il Popolano", the commoner, and it stands where the people of Bologna drove the Austrians out on 8 August 1848. The date itself is still marked in the city, and the statue keeps that day's memory attached to the square named after it.

The memorial sits at the entrance of Montagnola Park, making it easily accessible while exploring Bologna's northern districts. The surrounding square provides open space and clear sight lines for viewing and photography.

The statue's inauguration was delayed from August to September 1903 due to tensions between socialist and Catholic groups in the city. This shift reveals how local disputes influenced even the timing of public commemoration.