Monument to Joseph Louis Lagrange, Turin
The monument to Joseph Louis Lagrange is installed in Turin, the birthplace of the great mathematician of the 18th century. It was placed in the center of the city, in a spot where that biggest number of tourists and city residents can be seen. The placement, as well as expensive materials, show how much the city is proud of its outstanding sons.
Personality and history of the monument
The monument was dedicated to one of the most famous mathematicians – Giuseppe Lagrange. He was born and began his journey in Turin. At the age of 19, he taught at a local institute. Later, Giuseppe founded the Turin Academy of Sciences. During his life, he was famous for his significant contribution to the development of the queen of sciences – mathematics. His most famous work, Mécanique analytique, was released in 1788 in Paris. He managed to get a lot of awards from the outstanding science academies of the time, and also was the president of one of them in Berlin, and a member of one in Paris. Lagrange has the streets of Paris and Turin as well as many scientific concepts, theorems, an asteroid and a crater on the moon named after him.
Fundraising for the construction of the monument began by representatives of the Turin Academy of Sciences only 40 years after the scientist’s death, in 1856. The creation of a statue was started by sculptor Giovanni Albertoni in 1865. Its opening took place in 1867.
Sculpture
Lagrange’s contribution to science was quite significant, the statue also looks different from the others in terms of size. The pedestal has a height of 3 meters, and the sculpture itself is 2.5 meters. The monument is made of white Carrara marble and pink Baveno granite. Materials are not cheap. The mathematician is portrayed in his full height and looks thoughtful. In his right hand, he holds a pencil stub, in the left – a sheet of paper. A pile of books lies at his feet.
How to get
The monument to Joseph Louis Lagrange is located on the square of the same name, Piazza Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange, in the center of Turin. Right next to it, in the Sambuy garden, there is the monument to the writer Edmondo de Amicis, opposite which the Turin Railway Station can be seen. That’s why the monument can be easily found. It can be reached by subway, trams № 4, 7, 9, and buses № 11, 12, 33, 52, 58, 64, 67, 68, 92, 101, S05. You need to get off at the Porta Nuova stop.
