Monument to Ercole and Anteo, Bronze monument at Palazzo Cusani, Parma, Italy.
The Monument to Ercole and Anteo shows two figures locked in a mythological struggle, positioned above a decorated fountain in an inner courtyard. The work is crafted from copper, and what stands there today is a precise 2003 reproduction of the original baroque sculpture.
Sculptor Teodoro Vanderstruck created the original copper work between 1684 and 1687 as a baroque commission for Italian nobility. The piece was relocated several times throughout its history before settling at Palazzo Cortile, while a matching copy was later installed elsewhere.
Local residents in Parma call this sculpture 'I du brasè' in their dialect, naming the intertwined figures of Hercules and the giant Antaeus. This term has become embedded in how people speak about the work and recall it in daily conversation.
The sculpture is accessible year-round and sits in a courtyard that can be viewed openly. The best time to see it is early morning or late afternoon when light brings out the details of the copper work more clearly.
The original work moved multiple times throughout the city's history, showing how valued the piece was to Parma. The 2003 reproduction was created to ensure the sculpture remained visible even as the original found its final home.
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