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.
Awesome statue. I would be afraid if I would meet in a forest one. 🙂
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I’d climb a tree, I think. And maybe, yell for help.
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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
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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.
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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
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My home town doesn’t have one but it does look spectacular! thanks for sharing!
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He’s a big lad, Liz.
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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. 🙂
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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. 🙂
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No problem, Yvonne. It just part of my research for my Lonely Planet guide to the Spam Folders of WordPress. 🙂
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True, Bun!
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Ah! A selfie…
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My secret is out, B.A.
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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
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Now, that’s an interesting question about the boar, and good luck, Michel.
You’re right about the contrast between the boar and capitalism! ❤
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Pretty much one of the two things I remember from visiting Florence 17 years ago. The other one is strawberries. 🙂
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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?)
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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…
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I think te pike place pig is a very discerning pig. When looking at the fountain the first Italian, subject of todays post
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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.
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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. 🙂
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Hahaaah! Just an early morning giggle, I look for giggles in most things. Happy Saturday.
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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
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Ma dai! Grazie, Annalisa. Sono stata sorpreso di leggere su tutti gli altri, anche. Buon sabato a te.
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I think this could be the basis for a great world tour!
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What a good idea. Tell Dave about it, I want to see him do the famous eye roll.
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Oh dear just what he needs. People encouraging me. 🙂
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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.”
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ha ha, molto divertente 🙂
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Trust the taciturn New Englanders …
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We have one in front of Sydney hospital. The snout is all shiny and the coins provide pocket money to some lucky kids.
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How would we qualify for that pocket money, Gerard??
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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.
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Did I feed the original then – in 1990? No pretty fountains here at all – this is not a pretty city!
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The original copy, I think which was there until 1998, then this one took its place.
Did you get your good luck?
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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! 😀
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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.
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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
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I knew you would find her. A couple of years ago there were colorful likenesses of her all over town.
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I don’t think we have one in Oz but it would be nice to see.
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Guess what? The Sydney Hospital has one, but I’ve never seen it.
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maybe I’ll Google it.
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There’s a Hampshire Hog at The Ringwood Brewery where I used to live!
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Did you try to attach a photo? The darn link didn’t work.
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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)
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Thank you! I didn’t do the link thing properly.
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Going to see the real deal in about a month. Can’t wait!
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Oh, you must be so happy, Jane!
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There’s one in Sydney, for a start.
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I’ve never been in that hospital to see it, thank goodness!
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