The Talking Statue of Pasquino – Secret Rome
PASQUINO
Pasquino was a taylor who used to live in Rome during the 16th century.
He was known by people as a satirist. Everytime he saw some injustice made by some rich man or authorities and church, he always denounced by satires so many people (expecially the ones who committed some injustice) were afraid by this man.
When he died his house was teared down and under the ruins a greek statue was discovered. It was found half-buried and his head used as a shoe-cleaner for people who used to visit Pasquino.
This statue (possible to admire still nowadays) was used by satirist across centuries, who wrote papers which were then stuck on the statue. On this papers they used to denounce, by poems, all the injustice of politics and politicians.
This kind of poems were called “Pasquinate”.
During the 18th century the Pope Benedetto the XIII, issued a document in which he prohibited all kinds of satirical pamphlets on Pasquino’s statue, under penalty of death.
Modern satirist still use statue to stick papers of “pasquinate” against new government.
Carlo Tullo