Monument to Ferdinando di Savoia, Turin
The monument to Ferdinand of Savoy beautifies one of the central squares of Turin, Piazza Solferino. Ferdinand of Savoy was the youngest son of the King of Sardinia, Carl Albert, and thus, was given the title of Duke. He didn’t plan to accede to the throne and chose to become a military man. During the war with Austria in 1848-1849, he first participated in a battle. As a military commander, he behaved wisely and displayed considerable courage. Ferdinand of Savoy died unexpectedly in Turin in 1855.
After the unification of Italy, King Vittorio Emanuele II ordered the erection of a monument to Ferdinand, who was his brother. In 1863, the project was commissioned to the sculptor Alfonso Balzico who ended the work in 1866. The king was impressed with the result and made Alfonso a court sculptor. The monument was installed on Piazza Solferino in 1877.
Sculptural composition
The equestrian statue together with the pedestal has a height of almost 9 metres. It is cast from bronze and depicts a moment from the fierce battle of Novara on 23 March, 1849. The horse wounded in the chest falls onto its front legs in agony. At the same time, the duke, with a saber, is jumping off the horse. On both sides of the pedestal of pink granite, bas-reliefs depict the siege of Peschiera and the Battle of Bicocca near Novara. These events were the last in the first war for independence with Austria and brought the Italians a defeat.
The monument makes it clear that a strong man will make conclusions from defeats and will move on. The monument to Ferdinand of Savoy depicts the moment of the battle in detail. This, as well as the significance of the events to which it is dedicated, made the monument one of the most recognizable symbols of Turin.
How to get there
The monument to Ferdinand of Savoy is located in the centre of Solferino square, close to many palaces and museums in the historical area. In the northern and southern parts of the same forum there are Fontana Angelica and the monument to Giuseppe la Farina. The bus stop nearby can be reached by the buses № 14, 19, 29, 59, 63, 67.
