Monumento alla Lira, Currency monument in Piazza Cavour, Rieti, Italy
The Monumento alla Lira is a tall column topped with a stylized representation of the Italian lira coin, located in the center of Piazza Cavour. The stone structure rises above the shops and cafes surrounding the square.
Sculptor Pietro Cascella created the monument in 1967 to honor the lira, Italy's national currency from 1861 to 2002. After the country adopted the euro, the work became a historical reminder of a currency that had defined economic life for generations.
The monument serves as a meeting point where visitors pause and reflect on Italy's economic journey through a currency that shaped daily life. It speaks to the personal connection Italians had with the lira before the euro arrived.
The monument is freely accessible at any time since it stands in the open public square. The surrounding Piazza Cavour has cafes with seating and easy connections to other central attractions in the city.
Few monuments anywhere in the world are dedicated to a former national currency, making this one particularly unusual. The fact that the lira shaped daily life for so long and is now permanently captured in stone gives it a distinctive place in public art.
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