Monument to Alfonso Ferrero, Turin
The monument to Alfonso Ferrero in Turin is another example from the era of 19th-century monuments. Many prominent personalities, many monuments. And the memory that lives in townspeople who honor their heroes. This monument corresponds to the merits of the person to whom it is dedicated.
Personality and history of the monument
Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora was an aristocrat who came from a military family. He was quite a remarkable serviceman, just like his elder brother who also has own monument. Once he completed the training, he became an artilleryman. Alfonso devoted many years of his life to the modernization of horse artillery and military schools. During the war with Austria in 1848, he saved King Carlo Alberto. In the following years, he succeeded in politics as well and was appointed war secretary in various governments several times. Moreover, the general did not slack but carried out bold reforms that reorganized the army. After retirement, he took up high profile position in the army for a long time. He also got a lot of various awards throughout his life.
Then in 1878, a few days after the death of the general, the idea to create a monument appeared. Soon the city council allocated funds for the project. The sculptor Stanislao Grimaldi whose specialized in equestrian monuments was put in charge. The opening of the monument was held in 1891.
Sculpture
The monument has a stone base with steps. A pink granite plinth stands on it and has a height of almost 6 meters. It is decorated with foliate ornament and bronze lion heads. The statue crowning the 5-meter high monument was cast from bronze. The general is depicted on horseback dressed in military uniform with an unsheathed saber in his right hand. The monument is huge and monumental, it can definitely impress the person that sees it for the first time.
How to get
The statue is located in the historic center of the city, in the middle of Piazza Giambattista Bodoni. A park which has a number of sculptures of famous personalities of Turin in it can be found nearby. Turin railway station is situated a few blocks away from the square. You can get to the monument by tram № 9, and by bus № 6, 24, 33, 52, 61, 67, 68, 93. Get off at the Carlo Alberto stop, from еруку you can walk down to the square where the statue is located.
