Monument to Giuseppe La Farina, Turin
The monument to Giuseppe la Farina in Turin dominates one of the central squares, Piazza Solferino, and completes a long green city forum. Even if the landmark is not on your to-see list you will surely notice it when passing by.
Personality and history of creation
The statue is a tribute to a son of Risorgimento who strived to unite Italy. Giuseppe la Farina was a historian, journalist, and politician. He was also the founder of the Sicilian newspaper L'Alba and an active supporter of the revolutionaries. In 1848, he was elected to the Sicilian parliament, and in 1856, joined Count Cavour and Garibaldi. In 1860, la Farina became a deputy and a state adviser. A year later, the statesman became the Minister of Education. La Farina was an author of several historical and political works.
After the death of the politician in 1863, the proposal to create a monument was made. However, soon after that the capital was moved from Turin, and the initiative was forgotten until 1866. The fundraising was restarted later and completed by 1868 totaling in 24000 lire. Only in 1878, a sculptor from Palermo, Michele Auteri-Pomar, started working on the project. The monument was opened on 1 June, 1884. In 1890, an epigraph in bronze began to crumble and was reengraved on the pedestal. In 2004, during the preparation for the Winter Olympics, the statue was dismantled. After the games, it was placed on Piazza Solferino on 16 June, 2013.
Sculpture
The monument has a total height of 7.2 metres and is crowned with a statue of white. The politician is depicted writing a text, leaning against the balustrade, with papers in his left hand and a pen in the right one. The pedestal is made of granite and has an inscription with the name of the statesman.
The panel at the back of the balustrade depicts the symbol of Trinacria: a head of a woman with three curved legs beaming concentrically out of it. Such image can be found on the flag of Sicily, the birthplace of Giuseppe. It also symbolizes that the politician helped to establish the independence of the state by struggling against the Bourbon dynasty.
How to get there
The sculpture of Giuseppe la Farina is located on the southern tip of Piazza Solferino, in the heart of historical Turin. On the opposite side of the square stands Fontana Angelica. A little further looms the Palace of Pallavicino. The Solferino bus stop near the square can be reached by the buses № 14, 19, 29, 59, 63, 67.
