This little piggy went EVERYWHERE!

Florence’s Porcellino Fountain is a traditional symbol of good luck and one of the most visited and “touched” attractions in Florence. There are copies of it all over the world: in Belgium, France, Sydney, Kansas City, Ontario and New York, with two in Munich. The latest version of Florence’s Porcellino Fountain is located on the left side of the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, also known as the Mercato del Porcellino, or Piglet’s Market.

The Porcellino (Little Pig) is actually a boar (cinghiale). The original was sculpted in marble as a gift to Cosimo I from Pope Pius IV in 1560 and can be found today at the Uffizi Gallery. In 1612, Cosimo I commissioned Pietro Tacca to create a bronze copy for the beautification of Palazzo Pitti. Tacca, one of the most talented students of master sculptor Giambologna, crafted such a perfect replica that even the boar’s fur seemed real. The statue was not completed until 1633.

Ferdinando II de’ Medici decided to place the Porcellino near the Loggia around 1640 and turned it into a fountain, serving a practical purpose: quenching the thirst of the silk and fabric merchants who gathered at the market each day. The statue on display today is a copy made in 1988, while the original resides at the Museo Bardini in Florence.

One of the most popular traditions surrounding the statue is the “magic” touch of the Porcellino’s nose. It’s said that touching the snout, which is shiny with

rubbing, will bring good luck. The ritual includes placing a coin in the boar’s mouth; if it falls through the grate and into the running water, you will return to Florence someday!

Hans Christian Andersen dedicated a fairy tale to the Porcellino called “The Metal Pig.” A poor foundling falls asleep on the porcellino’s back. During the night, the fountain comes alive and starts running all over Florence. The Porcellino also appears in the Harry Potter films “The Chamber of Secrets” and “The Deathly Hallows.” It decorates the entrance hall at Hogwarts in the first film and is seen in the Room of Requirement in the second.

The article above appears in the April 2025 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture.

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