In the Mercato Nuovo, Florence, you’ll see hordes of people standing around this fountain made in the form of a bronze boar, patting his snout and putting coins in his mouth. They’re hoping that the flowing water will make the coin drop through the grating at his feet, which will ensure good luck for them.
The original statue was cast in the 1630s, and is now kept in the Bardini Museum. This replica was put in place in 2008. There are oodles of copies to be seen all around the world. Maybe your home town has one, let us know.
Hello World 
Awesome statue. I would be afraid if I would meet in a forest one. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d climb a tree, I think. And maybe, yell for help.
LikeLike
I patted the fellow and contributed my coin. 🙂 I was amused by his shiny nose, made by what I would guess are millions of rubs. –Curt
LikeLike
I hope good luck has been following you since then, Curt. Now, I’m wondering what happens to all those tourist coins that have landed on or through those grates.
LikeLike
I’ll go with supporting good causes, or the city treasury, or maybe to helping the guy out who is stuck with cleaning chores and probably not paid a great deal. But then I am usually an optimist… 🙂 –Curt
LikeLiked by 1 person
My home town doesn’t have one but it does look spectacular! thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s a big lad, Liz.
LikeLike
It’s may be a replica, but it’s still rather good. I’m sure there are no copies near me, though. Not the kind of thing I’d forget. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bun, what are you doing in my Spam folder! I’m sorry I left you there with all the ads for very strange things. Please forgive me. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
No problem, Yvonne. It just part of my research for my Lonely Planet guide to the Spam Folders of WordPress. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
True, Bun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah! A selfie…
LikeLiked by 1 person
My secret is out, B.A.
LikeLike
The boar has a powerful shape . I wonder what is the origin of this ” tradition” to have confidence in a boar to get luck !
I like also the contrast between this very impressing statue of wild beast with the current life in the market for instance a stall of bags (on the photo ).
Love ❤
Michel
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now, that’s an interesting question about the boar, and good luck, Michel.
You’re right about the contrast between the boar and capitalism! ❤
LikeLike
Pretty much one of the two things I remember from visiting Florence 17 years ago. The other one is strawberries. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
17 years ago, the fruit and vegetables would have been available pretty much in their proper season. I’ll bet those strawberries were delicious, Eva.
(Your comment just appeared today. You weren’t in the Spam folder with Bun, were you?)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh those strawberries were pretty much unforgettable! 🙂 As for that comment of mine – I tend to influence technology related things in the weirdest of ways, so its no surprise the comment wandered off somewhere…
LikeLike
I think te pike place pig is a very discerning pig. When looking at the fountain the first Italian, subject of todays post
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whoops! I sent too soon, so distracted was I by the … trotter, please let it be a trotter that peeks beneath the rear farside underbelly? A disturbing sight while eating my English breakfast rashers *gulp* at eight twenty Saturday morning here in the UK.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It made me stop and look more closely, Ellen, when I walked around the statue. Yes, it’s a trotter and whatever part of the anatomy the foot is hooked onto! Sorry to ruin your breakfast. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaaah! Just an early morning giggle, I look for giggles in most things. Happy Saturday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
sono molto stupita delle risposte positive alla tua domanda, non credevo ce ne fossero così tante copie di questo piccolo-grande monumento molto amato da tutti i fiorentini! mi fa anche molto piacere che conosci così bene le nostre tradizioni toscane! un sabato molto lieto per te
Annalisa
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ma dai! Grazie, Annalisa. Sono stata sorpreso di leggere su tutti gli altri, anche. Buon sabato a te.
LikeLike
I think this could be the basis for a great world tour!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a good idea. Tell Dave about it, I want to see him do the famous eye roll.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear just what he needs. People encouraging me. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We New Englanders have one of those sculptures in Lyndon Center, Lyndon, Vermont. It’s been there for 100 years. Because it has water running out of its mouth, the locals refer to it as “the puking pig.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
ha ha, molto divertente 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trust the taciturn New Englanders …
LikeLike
We have one in front of Sydney hospital. The snout is all shiny and the coins provide pocket money to some lucky kids.
LikeLiked by 2 people
How would we qualify for that pocket money, Gerard??
LikeLike
Absolutely, Gez. If you rub one of the beast’s forelimbs and make a wish, there’s a Trotter’s Ale waiting for you in the front bar of the Pig’s Arms.
LikeLike
Did I feed the original then – in 1990? No pretty fountains here at all – this is not a pretty city!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The original copy, I think which was there until 1998, then this one took its place.
Did you get your good luck?
LikeLike
I have no memory of what I would have been wishing for at that time – so let’s just say ‘Of course I did!’ 🙂
I threw money into fountains all through Italy and came home so broke, I obviously wasn’t wishing for hard cash! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have a pig at the Pike Place Market in Seattle but it’s not the same. People still rub “her” for luck though and she’s gotten pretty shiny over the years.
LikeLike
I’ll have to see if I can find this one online, Michelle.
Here’s a link to the one in Seattle, her name is Rachel, apparently: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMYJA_Pike_Place_Pig
LikeLiked by 1 person
I knew you would find her. A couple of years ago there were colorful likenesses of her all over town.
LikeLike
I don’t think we have one in Oz but it would be nice to see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Guess what? The Sydney Hospital has one, but I’ve never seen it.
LikeLike
maybe I’ll Google it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a Hampshire Hog at The Ringwood Brewery where I used to live!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you try to attach a photo? The darn link didn’t work.
LikeLike
No that’s not quite the link – it just goes to wikipedia. Anyone interested should Google: Hampshire Hog Ringwood Brewery England (and look under images)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I didn’t do the link thing properly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Going to see the real deal in about a month. Can’t wait!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, you must be so happy, Jane!
LikeLike
There’s one in Sydney, for a start.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never been in that hospital to see it, thank goodness!
LikeLike