The statue was commissioned by Cosimo II de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and completed in the early 1630s by Pietro Tacca, a renowned Italian sculptor. Tacca was inspired by an ancient marble statue of a boar – a gift to the Duke of Florence from Pope Pius IV – which had been installed in the Medicis’ new Palazzo Pitti. (The marble remains there in what is now the Uffizi Gallery.)

In 1640 the statue was installed as a public fountain at the Mercato Nuovo, where it has become a beloved landmark in Florence. Located near the Ponte Vecchio, Il Porcellino serves as a popular meeting point and tourist attraction. Over time, the statue has become famous not just for its artistry and hyper-realistic attention to detail but also for the local traditions and superstitions associated with it.

It is said that if you rub the boar’s snout, you will ensure a return to Florence. The constant rubbing has given the snout a shiny, polished appearance, contrasting with the rest of the statue.

Another tradition involves placing a coin in the boar’s mouth. If the coin falls through the grate below, it’s believed to bring good fortune. The coins collected are donated to charities, adding a philanthropic element to the tradition.

But 350 years’ worth of rubbing was not good for that snout. [Ed: I feel sure that Charging Bull would empathise.] The present day Il Porcellino is a modern replica, cast in 1998 by Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry, while Tacca’s original bronze – meticulously restored – is sheltered in the new Museo Stefano Bardini in the Palazzo Mozzi.

Il Porcellino has become a symbol of Florence, representing the city's connection to its artistic heritage, its history and its spirit of good fortune.

Replicas of Il Porcellino can be found in nearly 50 cities around the world. The Sydney version sits outside Sydney Hospital, facing Macquarie Street. It was a gift to the City of Sydney from the Marchesa Fiaschi Torrigiani, who donated the artwork in 1968 to help raise funds for Sydney Hospital.

It has a shiny nose too. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.

Story Idea: Yvonne Frindle
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References

wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcellino
cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/sculptures/il-porcellino

Images

1. Il Porcellino
2. Il Porcellino in Mercato Nuova, Florence
3. Cosimo II painting by Cristofano Allori. Created: circa 1608–1618
4. Map of Florence showing location of Mercato Nuova. Credit: Google Maps
5. Nose rubbers in Florence
6. Nose after too much rubbing
7. Il Porcellino in front of the Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum (German Hunting and Fishing Museum) in Munich. Photo credit: Michael Eschbaumer
8. Sydney Hospital Il Porcellino, 1962. Photo credit: Greg O'Beirne