Florence Porcellino
Porcellinos or wild boars have always been attributed as a symbol of fearlessness, fertility and abundance in various literary works in the Renaissance. Florence proudly proclaims the possession of a statue of a bronze boar( Porcellino) along with a frog and a fountain in Mercato Nuovo (the new market).
Called Il Porcellino, meaning ‘’the little pig’’ by the Italians, this beautiful piece of art is believed to bring prosperity .The visitors are encouraged to rub the snout of the Florence Porcellino and put a coin in its open mouth for goodluck and return to the city soon.
The Origins of the Florence Porcellino
The Greeks usually take credit for crafting the original statue of the Porcellino. This had also inspired the Romans to create a similar masterpiece. In 1634, the first statue of the bronze boar was crafted and the Pope had gifted it to the Medicis.
The Florence Porcellino today is a 20th century recreation of the 17th century bronze artifact that had grown a dangerously thin snout on account of constant rubbing by the visitors for good luck.
Today the Florence Porcellino has several namesakes all around the world along with four in Great Britain, twelve in the US, similar piggies in Australia, Denmark, other places in Italy, Germany, Monaco, Spain, Norway and Sweden.
The Legend of the Wild Boar
According to a Renaissance legend, once a couple in Florence, though affluent, suffered because of the lack of children. The wife was held responsible for being barren and was in a lot of misery hence. Once she saw a herd of wild pigs pass by and felt heartbroken. She grieved by saying that even the pigs could have children but she couldn’t.
The Birth of the Porcellino
There happened to be a fairy nearby who heard her and granted her wish. In due course of time, the couple became parents but to their utter dismay, the baby had a striking resemblance with a wild boar. Overcome with love, the couple couldn’t renounce their child and raised him like a son.
The Betrayal of the Wild Boar
As Time passed, this boy grew up and showed an intellectual acumen similar to a human. One day, a very poor girl got attracted by his riches and sharp mind and decided to marry him. On their first night, shredding his boarish appearance, the boar emerged as a handsome young man. He told her that he could only take a human form at night if she promises to keep it a secret from the world. If anybody comes to know, he would irrevocably become a boar.
The Ill Fated Porcellino
Though she vowed to keep it under wraps, the wife couldn’t help sharing this secret with her mother, who in turn spread it to her friends, and they, despite swearing to never divulge it, spilled it to the whole town. The very next day, the husband transformed into a wild boar forever and the wife became a frog. She lived in a pool and met her husband every day who came to the pool for a drink.
The Frog
The boar fountain in Florence also has the figure of a frog nearby. The frog commemorates this legend of the ill-fated couple. The Florence Porcellino is a very popular attraction among the visitors today. While its snout grows thin and shiny with constant rubs, the hearts of the tourists fill up with joy and happiness with the prospect of returning to this beautiful city in the future.
According to local belief, if the coin is washed away by the water and falls in the grate under the Florence Porcellino, the person giving the coin is surely standing on the brink of success and will return to the city in the future. The money hence collected is donated to a local orphanage.
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The Bridge of Pontevecchio