The Statue of Ovidius, Bronze monument in Ovidiu Square, Constanța, Romania.
The Statue of Ovidius is a bronze sculpture in Ovidiu Square in central Constanța, depicting the Roman poet standing with a scroll in hand. The figure rises on a tall stone pedestal carved with Latin inscriptions that refer to his time in the ancient city of Tomis.
The statue was made in 1887 by Italian sculptor Ettore Ferrari to honor the Roman poet who was sent into exile in Tomis by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century. During World War I it was taken down, but German troops later put it back in place to prevent its destruction.
The square that surrounds the statue bears the poet's name, and locals treat it as a natural meeting point rather than just a historic site. Street vendors, students, and tourists all pass through, giving the place a living quality that contrasts with the solemnity of the bronze figure above.
The monument stands in the center of Constanța and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the old town. Several museums are close by, so a visit fits naturally into a longer walk through the historic area.
Ovid is one of the few ancient poets whose exact place of exile is known, because he named it himself in his poems. He never stopped writing letters asking to return to Rome, and those letters survive today as a record of his years in this city.
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