Monument to Cola di Rienzo, Bronze statue near Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy
The Monument to Cola di Rienzo is a bronze statue depicting a hooded figure with an upraised arm mounted on a base of marble and brick. It stands at Piazza del Campidoglio, positioned between the Capitoline buildings in the heart of Rome.
The statue was created in 1871 by sculptor Girolamo Masini to honor a 14th-century political leader who established a people-centered government in the mid-1300s. It marks a turning point in Rome's political history and efforts to reclaim power from clergy authority.
The monument occupies a symbolic position between the Capitoline steps and the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, marking where public gatherings took place. This location connects visitors to how ordinary Romans once gathered to hear calls for change.
The monument is accessible by multiple public transit options including bus lines 30, 51, and 81, tram line 8, and the Colosseo metro station. Best access is from the upper level of Piazza del Campidoglio where the Capitoline buildings stand.
The statue deliberately orients its figure toward the Vatican to the northwest, mirroring historical opposition to church power. This intentional positioning reveals enduring tensions between secular and religious authority in medieval Rome.
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