The stones of the Eternal City, which spoke and became the voice of the Roman people (8 photos)

For five centuries, the Romans expressed their anger at authority in a unique way.





They placed anonymous satirical poems on city statues, mocking the government and even the Pope.



Pascivino - Rome's First Talking Statue

These monuments, erected in public places, became platforms for lively discussions, foreshadowing modern internet forums. Thus was born the phenomenon of Rome's talking statues, or Gathering of Wits.





Marforio in the Capitoline Museum

The most famous of these is the damaged Hellenistic statue of Pasquino, discovered in the 15th century. On St. Mark's Day, the cardinal held a literary competition at its foot, but citizens began leaving caustic notes even after the competition ended. Thus, Pasquino found his voice.



Fragment of a modern lampoon

The messages were posted under cover of night, and in the morning, a crowd would gather at the statue to mock them until the authorities confiscated the papers. Pope Adrian VI threatened to drown Pasquino in the Tiber, but feared ridicule for attacking the statue.



Statue of Pasquino in the House of Cardinal Ursino

Instead, the statue was placed under surveillance, which only led people to turn to other monuments, such as the Marforio.



Madama Lucrezia, Piazza San Marco

Soon, the statues began to "communicate" with each other, their dialogues becoming a witty form of political satire. When the sister of Pope Sixtus V, a peasant, began acting like a noblewoman, Marforio asked, "Hey, Pasquino, why is your shirt so dirty? You look like a coal merchant!" Pasquino replied, "What can I do? My laundress has been made a princess!"



Fountain of Babuino, Sant'Atanasio dei Greci

The tradition lives on. In 2011, during the scandal surrounding Prime Minister Berlusconi, notes appeared on Pasquino: "Italy is not a brothel" and "Italy's body is not for sale." The word "pasquinade," born at the foot of this statue, entered dictionaries around the world as a term for malicious satire.



Fontana Faccino, Via Lata