Statue of Dante Alighieri

 statue, monument, 1860s construction

This statue was erected here because Dante stayed here for a period.

1865 was the sixth centennial of the birth of Dante and Italy was about to solemnly commemorate the recurrence. As an initiative of the Academy of Agriculture and the Society of Fine Arts, to which the City Council adhered, it was decided to erect a statue of Dante in Piazza dei Signori, where the Scala Palace that had hosted the “Ghibellin fuggiasco”.
On 6th October 1863 a call for tender was emanated for the design of the statue. The only conditions were that the second quality Carrara marble be suitable for a height of three meters, supported by a pedestal and that the figure, which would turn its back to via delle Fogge, have its head turned slightly towards the left, or namely towards Scala Palace of the Courts.
It was then stated that the Poet must have been turned towards free Italy. The winner of the tender was a young, entirely unknown artist, Ugo Zannoni.
The statue was uncovered on 14 May 1865, in the early morning.