Abate Luigi

Abate Luigi (Italian language: "Abbot Luigi") is one of the talking statues of Rome. Like the other five "talking statues", pasquinades - irreverent satires poking fun at public figures - were posted beside "Abate Luigi"in the 14th and 15th centuries.

The statue is a late Roman sculpture of a standing man in a toga, probably a senior magistrate. It was found during the excavations for the foundations of the Palazzo Vidoni, near the Theatre of Pompey. After being moved to various locations in Rome, the the statue has been sited in the piazza Vidoni since 1924, near its place of discovery, on a side wall of the Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle. Its head has been removed in jest several times.

The original identity of the person depicted has not been determined, and it was named after a clergyman from the nearby chiesa del Sudario.

An inscription on its plinth testifies to Abate Luigi's loquacity:

FUI DELL’ANTICA ROMA UN CITTADINO

ORA ABATE LUIGI OGNUN MI CHIAMA

CONQUISTAI CON MARFORIO E CON PASQUINO

NELLE SATIRE URBANE ETERNA FAMA

EBBI OFFESE, DISGRAZIE E SEPOLTURA

MA QUI VITA NOVELLA E ALFIN SICURA

ee also

*The other five speaking statute of Rome
**Pasquino
**Madama Lucrezia
**Marforio
**Facchino
**Babuino

*The other speaking statute of Milan
**Omm de Preja (or Sciur Carera)

Bibliography

*Rendina, C., "Pasquino statua parlante”, "ROMA ieri, oggi, domani", n. 20 – febbraio 1990

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/mp_pollett/roma-c2i.htm?20071 Le statue parlanti di Roma]
* [http://www.romasegreta.it/s.eustachio/corpo1.htm L’Abate Luigi]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=jzXsIktocfEC&pg=PA73&dq=babuino+silenus&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=m4FZO1pN5ndnAgi-I8HNxUBBWow#PPA73,M1 "The Insider's Guide to Rome", p.73]